YORK, Pa.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. (NASDAQ: BONT) today announced the signing of a license and design agreement with Mambo Graphics PTY LTD (“Mambo”) for the exclusive launch of the Mambo brand in the United States. Under the agreement, Mambo will design the collection while Bon-Ton will manage the sourcing, manufacturing, distribution and marketing of the line.
“We are very pleased about our partnership with Mambo Graphics. It is especially exciting to be the first retailer in the United States to offer this iconic Australian surfwear/streetwear brand,” commented Bud Bergren, President and Chief Executive Officer of Bon-Ton. “Mambo is one of the top surf and skate brands in the world and will be an exciting addition to our extensive portfolio of exclusive private and national brand offerings. It will offer a vast assortment of fun and artfully-designed products for our young customer.”
“We are thrilled to be joining forces with Bon-Ton,” added Angus Kingsmill, Managing Director of Mambo Graphics. “Our team is working with Bon-Ton to develop an exciting and unique collection for young men, juniors and children. We are confident Mambo will be loved by our American customers just as we are back home in Australia and in other parts of the globe.”
The Mambo brand will be in all stores beginning in the fall of 2011 and includes young men’s, juniors and children’s apparel, as well as accessories and swimwear. The collection will be launched with a media and marketing program during the back-to-school time frame.
About The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.
The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., with corporate headquarters in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates 275 department stores, which includes 11 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, in the Detroit, Michigan area, under the Parisian nameplate. The stores offer a broad assortment of national and private brand fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children, as well as cosmetics and home furnishings. For further information, please visit the investor relations section of the Company’s website at http://investors.bonton.com.
About Mambo Graphic PTY LLC
Mambo Graphic PTY LLC is an Australian company established in 1984 and is owned by The Nervous Investor Group, a collective of creative and surfing entrepreneurs. Mambo has hosted major international music festivals, surfing events and has had its unique art exhibited in museums around the world. Mambo develops young artistic talent, produces innovative products, artworks and quality clothing. In 2000, due to demand from the athletes, Mambo designed the Australian team uniforms for the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympic Games. There have been several books written on Mambo, as well as a lead business TIME magazine article, and just last year, esteemed UK publication, Cult Street Wear, listed Mambo as one of the world’s most influential apparel brands of the past 30 years alongside Nike, Adidas and A Bathing Ape.
Certain information included in this press release contains statements that are forward-looking within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements, which may be identified by words such as “may,” “could,” “will,” “plan,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” or other similar expressions, involve important risks and uncertainties that could significantly affect results in the future and, accordingly, such results may differ from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of the Company. Factors that could cause such differences include, but are not limited to, risks related to retail businesses generally; a significant and prolonged deterioration of general economic conditions which could negatively impact the Company, including the potential write-down of the current valuation of intangible assets and deferred taxes; changes in the terms of the Company’s proprietary credit card program; potential increase in pension obligations; consumer spending patterns, debt levels, and the availability and cost of consumer credit; additional competition from existing and new competitors; inflation; deflation; changes in the costs of fuel and other energy and transportation costs; weather conditions that could negatively impact sales; uncertainties associated with expanding or remodeling existing stores; the ability to attract and retain qualified management; the dependence upon relationships with vendors and their factors; a data security breach or system failure; the ability to reduce or control SG&A expenses; the incurrence of unplanned capital expenditures; the ability to obtain financing for working capital, capital expenditures and general corporate purpose; the impact of new regulatory requirements including the Credit Card Accountability Responsibility and Disclosure Act of 2009 and the Health Care Reform Act; and the financial condition of mall operators. Additional factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ from those contained in these forward-looking statements are discussed in greater detail under Item 1A of the Company’s Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.