Boscov's closes in on NY metropolitan area

By Andrea Lillo -- Home Textiles Today, 8/20/2001 12:00:00 AM

NANUET, NY —

Boscov's, the privately-held department store headquartered in Reading, PA, penetrated the New York metro perimeter, with the opening of its Nanuet store in Rockland County last weekend.

This followed its recent acquisition of two former Stern's locations — in Monmouth and Toms River, NJ — from Federated, with openings slated for this fall and next spring, respectively.

"We're looking for further expansion opportunities up and down the Northeast corridor," said Burt Krieger, president. "In every market, we want to become the number-one home store. That will be difficult in New York. But it's a challenge … We want to bring the public something different than the products of our competitors."

Boscov's average store is about 200,000 square feet, which is why its locations are typically in regional malls. It currently has 35 stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New York and New Jersey.

And while other department stores have focused on being a fashion specialty resource, Krieger said, Boscov's has never gone that direction. "We are a true department store," he said. "We've always maintained a higher proportion of hard lines — appliances, candy, toys, small appliances — than our competitors." Even its fudge has been voted the best in Delaware.

The company has also not strayed much from its domestics roots. "We've stayed in curtains and draperies through thick and thin," he said, with an average spread of 2,500 square feet per store. The remaining domestics department adds another 6,500 square feet, he said, and includes such brands as Royal Velvet, Croscill, Tommy Hilfiger, Burlington, Martex, Wamsutta and Laura Ashley.

The advertising campaign will target about 125,000 households surrounding the Nanuet store, located in the Nanuet Mall, and will include ads in Sunday's Rockland paper, as well as cable TV and radio ads and direct mail.