MILWAUKEE, Wisc. - (September 8, 2009) - The semi-annual Goodwill® Sale event at Younkers will be held Wednesday, September 16 through Tuesday, September 29. The popular retail trade-in promotion is a successful collaboration between The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. and Goodwill Industries®. Consumers who donate clean, gently used clothing and home textiles at Younkers locations will receive a coupon for every single item they donate. The coupon will be good at Younkers for 20% off on apparel, shoes and accessories merchandise and 15% off on cosmetics, fragrances and home store merchandise. This year, with more job seekers coming for help than ever before, there is an increase in demand. Goodwill needs more donations to fund the services it provides and The Goodwill Sale generates millions of pounds of clothing donations, which are sold in more than 2,300 Goodwill stores. The revenue from the donations goes toward job training programs, employment placement services and other community programs for people who need it most in local communities.
Every customer who donates gently used apparel at Younkers during the Goodwill Sale event is contributing an "Act of Goodwill" to help others. Younkers is seeking a million people to support this mission by donating and registering their commitment on www.millionactsofgoodwill.com. In exchange for their support, consumers will receive a 25% in-store coupon and a chance to instantly win a $100 shopping spree instantly. Now through September 29th, registered consumers will also be entered into the grand-prize sweepstakes for a trip for two to Los Angeles and a tour of Universal Studios.
"Bon-Ton Stores has a long history of supporting the communities in which we operate," said Bud Bergren, president and chief executive officer of The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. "The Goodwill Sale is not just a major sales event; it's an event that has the power to transform lives."
"By donating your gently used items to Younkers as part of the Goodwill Sale, you're doing your part to provide us with the necessary resources to fund our critical job training programs," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International®. "These job training programs help families in your local communities achieve economic stability. Through our valuable partnership with Younkers, shoppers are helping us to increase our job placement rate."
ABOUT BON-TON
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. operates 279 stores, including 12 furniture galleries, in 23 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson Pirie Scott, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers nameplates and, under the Parisian nameplate, stores in the Detroit, Michigan area. The stores offer a broad assortment of brand-name fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children, as well as cosmetics and home furnishings. The Goodwill Sale event is just one of the ongoing charitable partnerships that the company has developed on a local level. Look for more exciting cause-marketing promotions as Bon-Ton continues to be an active and positive participant in the communities that it serves. In addition to offering customers a great shopping experience, The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. also supports its communities by promoting and raising money and awareness for non-profit organizations. Through these partnerships, Younkers touches customers in all of its communities as well as their friends and family members who benefit from these organizations. Visit www.bonton.com for more information.
ABOUT GOODWILL INDUSTRIES INTERNATIONAL
Goodwill® generates opportunities for people to achieve economic stability and build strong families and vibrant communities by offering job training, employment placement services and other community-based programs for people who have disabilities, lack education or job experience, or face employment challenges. One of North America's most recognized nonprofit organizations and a leading social services enterprise, Goodwill Industries International is a network of 183 community-based, independent agencies in the United States, Canada, and 14 other countries. To pay for its programs, Goodwill sells donated clothes and other household items in more than 2,300 retail stores and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill agencies also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food service preparation and document imaging and shredding. In 2008, 1.5 million people in the United States and Canada benefited from Goodwill's career services and more than 172,000 obtained job placement services. Goodwill channels 84 percent of its revenues directly into its programs and services. To find your local Goodwill, use the online locator at www.goodwill.org or call (800) 664-6577.
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