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Department store owner reports sales increases and adds bargain section.
Al Boscov tours his Wilkes-Barre store Friday morning to report that sales are up 4 percent for the year.
Clark Van Orden/The Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE – Al Boscov visited his downtown store Friday and brought good news – sales are up 4 percent for the year and 6 percent in May alone.
Those figures, Boscov said, buck the national trend and are starkly different than most stores in the region and nation.
“Sales in most department stores are down 9 to 12 percent,” Boscov said as he walked through the city store. “I don’t want to mention any names, but most department stores in this region are down. We’re adding new merchandise and making good buys for our customers.”
To that end, the delicatessen that had been a fixture for years in Boscov’s lower level is gone, making way for a new section called “Down Under.” The spot will be filled with what Boscov called “sensational buys.” It’s scheduled to open within the next two to three weeks, he said.
“The whole world loves a bargain,” said Boscov, 79. “We’re buying short hits of nice stuff. This will be a permanent thing, with the merchandise changing quickly.”
Boscov said many manufacturers have leftovers that they sell at reduced costs. Boscov said he will pass these savings on to his customers.
“I don’t know what we’re buying this week, but the price will be right,” he said.
Boscov said he is very happy with the performance of the Wilkes-Barre store. He said all of his stores were low on merchandise after the holidays and are now being replenished with quality items.
Accompanying Boscov to Wilkes-Barre were corporate vice presidents Gary Boyer, director of stores; Joe Keeney, regional director of stores; and Curt Snyder, director of visual merchandising. Brian Cann, Wilkes-Barre store manager, and Mina Hailstone, assistant manager, walked with Boscov as he checked displays, chatted with employees and joked with customers.
Boscov even acknowledged a few mannequins by name, joking they’ve been among his most loyal associates. The downtown store employs about 180 people, Hailstone said.
Pointing to breaks in the linoleum floor, he hinted that long-delayed improvements might be on his to-do list.
The Downtown Wilkes-Barre Business Association met in Boscov’s restaurant earlier Friday. About 25 members of the group discussed several events planned for downtown Wilkes-Barre during the summer months.
Frank Pasquini highlighted events such as the Farmers’ Market, Riverfest and July Fourth in Kirby Park as major ones. Bridget Giunta, administrative coordinator for the city, said a new band shell is “in the works” and could be ready for a summer concert series featuring local performers.
The association is distributing surveys to its members asking for direction for the group. John Chaump of Barnes & Noble said a new mission statement will be crafted and by-laws will be revised.
Bill Falcon, manager at Wilkes-Barre Movies 14, said business is up at the Northampton Street complex. He said in a down economy, people turn to the movies because they are affordable.
“Movies cost much less than taking the family to a concert, for example,” Falcon said. “We’re expecting a strong summer for our business.”