Carson's to Close Gateway Store for Nearly Half of 2012

Hard-boiled Chicagoans might still refer to the soon to open Target in the Loop as Carson Pirie Scott, but the original occupants of that building aren't living in the past. Carson's Gateway store on Riverside Plaza, it was announced Tuesday, will be closed down for nearly half of 2012 come January for extensive renovations to modernize the location.

When asked by the Chicago Tribune what changes are in store, Bud Bergren, president and CEO of parent company Bon-Ton Stores Inc. explained that the 11,000-sqaure-foot store would expand its inventory massively to include shoes, costume jewelry, handbags, and many other ladies' accessories. The store will be closed from mid-January to May.

Historically speaking, Carson's has had a keen sense of when to remodel and more than recoup those costs. In the early '90s, when the company was aggressively trying to update its "dinosaur" image, the stores it had updated became wildly successful: The company reported earnings that more than doubled the amount predicted by analysts.

So, more than likely, this is a smart move. 

Read more about the store's temporary closing over at the Tribune.

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