P.A. Bergner & Co. (also known as Bergner's) was an upscale
Midwestern
The Midwestern United States (also referred to as the Midwest, the Heartland or the American Midwest) is one of the four census regions defined by the United States Census Bureau. It occupies the northern central part of the United States. It ...
department store
A department store is a retail establishment offering a wide range of consumer goods in different areas of the store under one roof, each area ("department") specializing in a product category. In modern major cities, the department store mad ...
in the United States, that was established in 1889. The chain is now an online retailer operated by BrandX.com, Inc. The
flagship
A flagship is a vessel used by the commanding officer of a group of navy, naval ships, characteristically a flag officer entitled by custom to fly a distinguishing flag. Used more loosely, it is the lead ship in a fleet of vessels, typically ...
store was located in Peoria, Illinois at The Shoppes at Grande Prairie.
History
Beginnings
Bergner's was founded in downtown Peoria in 1889 by Peter Alan Bergner. The famous red stone building housed six floors that included a tea room, a millinery, a cobbler, and its famous Fine China department. The store stood on the corner of Adams at Fulton streets across from the then-rival, Block & Kuhl Company.
Expansion
In 1957, a second Peoria Bergner's location opened at the then-suburban Sheridan Village Shopping Center. Between 1961 and 1973, the Sheridan Village location sold the most merchandise per square foot of any department store in the United States. This Bergner's was the largest department store in Illinois outside of the Chicago area. During the 1970s, the chain opened several additional locations in Pekin, Bloomington, Decatur, Champaign, Galesburg, Quincy and Peru. During the 1970s, Bergner's opened a budget store (formatted after the original bargain basement downtown store) in the Madison Park Shopping Center in Peoria. Not expanding on this concept, the Madison Park Store was closed in 1993.

In April 2003, after the four-year process of the "Shoppes at Grand Prairie" lifestyle center development, Bergner's opened a new location serving as their flagship and it was the largest department store south of Chicago and north of St. Louis.
Mergers and acquisitions

Bergner's grew robustly in the late 1970s and 1980s. It acquired the eight stores of
Myers Brothers Company of
Springfield, Illinois
Springfield is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Illinois. Its population was 114,394 at the 2020 United States census, which makes it the state's List of cities in Illinois, seventh-most populous cit ...
, in 1978. In 1985, Bergner's acquired
Boston Store and all of its department stores in
Wisconsin
Wisconsin ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Great Lakes region, Great Lakes region of the Upper Midwest of the United States. It borders Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michig ...
along with three
Gimbel's
Gimbel Brothers (known simply as Gimbels) was an American department store corporation that operated for over a century, from 1842 until 1987. Gimbel patriarch Adam Gimbel opened his first store in Vincennes, Indiana, Vincennes, Indiana, in 1842 ...
locations. In 1989, P.A. Bergner bought Chicago's
Carson Pirie Scott
Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (also known as Carson's) is an American department store that was founded in 1854, which grew to over 50 locations, primarily in the Midwestern United States. It was sold to the holding company of Bon-Ton in 2006, but sti ...
for over $450 million. Carson's itself had just bought Minneapolis-based
Donaldson's
Donaldson's, previously known as the L. S. Donaldson Company, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is a defunct department store company.
History
Scottish immigrant William Donaldson opened a small store in Minneapolis in 1881, located at 3 ...
in November 1987. With this, Bergner's was a major Midwestern presence, with stores in five states: Wisconsin, Illinois,
Minnesota
Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...
,
Indiana
Indiana ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders Lake Michigan to the northwest, Michigan to the north and northeast, Ohio to the east, the Ohio River and Kentucky to the s ...
, and
Iowa
Iowa ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the upper Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. It borders the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west; Wisconsin to the northeast, Ill ...
, operating under the Bergner's, Carson Pirie Scott, and Boston Store names.
Later years
P.A. Bergner owned the store until he died in 1926.
His son John Velde Bergner was president of the company until his suicide in 1938.
Maus Frères
Maus Frères SA (French for "Maus Brothers") is a Swiss holding company founded in 1892 by Ernest and Henri Maus. The company most notably owns the Manor department store and Lacoste.
History
In 1892 Ernest and Henri Maus opened the mercantile ...
SA, based in
Geneva
Geneva ( , ; ) ; ; . is the List of cities in Switzerland, second-most populous city in Switzerland and the most populous in French-speaking Romandy. Situated in the southwest of the country, where the Rhône exits Lake Geneva, it is the ca ...
, Switzerland, acquired the company after the younger Bergner's death and gave the store its unique red logo of six hexagons, an emblem Bergner's now shares with five corporate siblings as well as two current Maus subsidiaries.
The downtown Peoria store remained open until 1986 and was demolished in 2000. One Technology Plaza now occupies the site. In memory of the long history of Bergner's to that location, the cornerstone of the red rock building is still on display outside the entrance to the college.
Bankruptcy and acquisition by Proffitt's
In August 1991, Bergner's filed for
bankruptcy
Bankruptcy is a legal process through which people or other entities who cannot repay debts to creditors may seek relief from some or all of their debts. In most jurisdictions, bankruptcy is imposed by a court order, often initiated by the deb ...
. It exited
Chapter 11
Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...
in 1993 with the new name Carson Pirie Scott & Co. and became a publicly traded company.
Proffitt's
Proffitt's was a department store chain based in Alcoa, Tennessee. The chain was founded in 1919 by David W. Proffitt and James Ellis. In 2006, the Proffitt's and McRae's stores were converted into Belk after Belk had acquired the two chains in ...
Inc., now
Saks Incorporated
Saks, Inc. was an American holding company founded in 1998 through the merger of Proffitts, Inc. and Saks Fifth Avenue. Before acquisition by the Canadian-founded Hudson's Bay Company in 2013, it held ownership of numerous regional department st ...
, bought the company in 1998 and named the purchased group of stores the Northern Department Store group internally; its purchase increased the northern presence of the Saks company.
Sale to The Bon-Ton
In July 2005, Saks completed the sale of its Southern Department Store Group consisting of
Proffitt's
Proffitt's was a department store chain based in Alcoa, Tennessee. The chain was founded in 1919 by David W. Proffitt and James Ellis. In 2006, the Proffitt's and McRae's stores were converted into Belk after Belk had acquired the two chains in ...
and
McRae's
McRae's was a mid-range regional department store chain founded and based in Jackson, Mississippi, with locations in Mississippi, Alabama, Louisiana, and Florida. The nameplate was in existence for more than a century.
History
Samuel P. McRae f ...
to
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the List of municipalities in North Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina and the county seat of Mecklenburg County, North Carolina, Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 United ...
–based
Belk
Belk, Inc. is an American department store chain founded in 1888 by William Henry Belk in Monroe, North Carolina, with nearly 300 locations in 16 states. Belk stores and Belk.com offer apparel, shoes, accessories, cosmetics, home furnishings, a ...
, Inc. On October 31, 2005, Saks announced that it was selling Bergner's and its other Northern Department Store Group stores (Carson Pirie Scott,
Younkers
Younkers Inc. () is an American online retailer and former department store chain founded as a family-run dry goods business in 1856 in Keokuk, Iowa. The retailer had evolved over more than 150 years to include a presence in locations throughout ...
,
Boston Store, and
Herberger's
G. R. Herberger Inc. is a digitally native retailer. It was established in 1927 in the Midwestern United States as a department store.
History
Herberger's began in Osakis, Minnesota, when G.R. "Bob" Herberger opened his first store in 1927 ...
) to
Bon-Ton
Bonton Holdings Inc. operating as Bonton () was an American department store chain and group founded in 1898. It operated in Western New York, Pennsylvania, Western Maryland, and throughout the Midwestern United States. The former York, Pennsy ...
Stores in a $1.1 billion deal. The transaction was completed on March 6, 2006. , the Bergner's name was used at 14 locations, all in Illinois.
Bon-Ton Stores announced on April 17, 2018, that they would cease operations and began liquidating all 267 stores after two liquidators, Great American Group and Tiger Capital Group, won an auction for the company. The bid was estimated to be worth $775.5 million. This included all remaining Bergner's stores after 128 years of operation. According to national retail reporter Mitch Nolen, stores closed within 10 to 12 weeks.
On September 10, 2018, of Merrillville, Indiana–based CSG Generation acquired all trademark and intellectual property assets of The Bon-Ton (York, Pa.).
Subsequently, in early 2021, CSC Generation sold all the acquired assets of Bon-Ton to New York-based BrandX.com, Inc in a private sale.
See also
*
Carson Pirie Scott
Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (also known as Carson's) is an American department store that was founded in 1854, which grew to over 50 locations, primarily in the Midwestern United States. It was sold to the holding company of Bon-Ton in 2006, but sti ...
– more information about corporate activity
References
External links
Official website(Archive)
The Bon-Ton to Acquire 142 stores from Saks Incorporated for $1.1 billion in cash— Purchase announcement from October 31, 2005
{{Department stores in the United States
Defunct department stores based in Illinois
Companies based in Peoria, Illinois
Companies based in Milwaukee
Retail companies established in 1889
Retail companies disestablished in 2018
1889 establishments in Illinois
2018 disestablishments in Illinois
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1991
Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2018
Companies that filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2018