Boscov's Expanding With the Opening of Their 50th Store

"Have you Boscoved today?"

The answer to that question in South Jersey -- a slogan popular in much of Boscov's advertising -- is, yes.

Boscov's, the nation's largest family-owned department store, is about to experience a milestone later this year when they open its 50th store and its first location in West Virginia.

The 150,000 square-foot space formally housed a Sears and 12 other mall stores.

According to Boscov's website history, Solomon Boscov moved to the United States in 1911 with only about $12 in his pocket. After failing to find a job in the capital, Washington, D.C., he then traveled to Reading, Pennsylvania. In Reading, he was able to communicate with the locals better because they spoke Pennsylvania Dutch, similar to his own native language.

He became a partner with a general merchandise store owner and eventually opened a store for himself. More customers began coming because they heard of his fair prices and quality merchandise. His business thrived, and he expanded after a year of having opened his first store. By 1913, a Boscov's store occupied all of the houses on the street.

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Today, Boscov's has 49 stores in eight states with the most in Pennsylvania and eight in New Jersey.

At a time when most brick-and-mortar retailers are scaling back, Company CEO Jim Boscov told ChainStoreAge.com how Boscov's remains viable in this day of online sales.