That is when the regional department store chain made the boldest move in its 107-year history. Yet Bon-Ton, the parent of a cluster of historic department stores including Carson’s, Elder-Beerman and Younkers, apparently was less equipped to compete. In taking over May Department Stores, Macy’s became a 1,000-store coast-to-coast chain, while the expanded Bon-Ton operated fewer than 300 stores. Macy’s made a risky but strategic decision to change all of the names of May’s store brands, including Marshall Field’s, to Macy’s. These exclusive labels would help distinguish the Bon-Ton stores from competition, and it built creative teams to oversee the efforts.

Source: Forbes April 27, 2018 17:48 UTC