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Elder-Beerman may, or may not, be coming to Plover

Ah, nothing like a bit of mystery on the local economic development scene.

This week's drama:

Is the Elder-Beerman department store chain building in the Plover Plaza?

Area media reported that this week, and village of Plover officials were confident enough to release the name of the Dayton, Ohio, based firm.

But an official in the firm's public information office said Wednesday it was her understanding that Elder-Beerman representatives had committed only to visiting a potential store site.

Ginny Focky of the firm's public information office said she had no knowledge of plans to build in Plover.

That contradicted with information distributed widely by Plover officials this week. A release by Richard Holden, the village's economic development manager, issued on Tuesday, proclaimed, "I can finally release the name of the new Plover Plaza anchor store - Elder-Beerman."

Village officials also reported that the store would be 53,000-square-feet and would be the anchor tenant in Plover Plaza, a retail development on the same site as the new Copps Corp. and ShopKo stores along Highway B on the southern edge of the village.

Elder-Beerman is the nation's ninth largest department store chain. The firm has 58 full-line department stores and two super-size furniture stores in eight Midwest states. The firm operates stores in Green Bay and Beloit and will open a store this fall in West Bend.

As with other department store chains across the country, Elder-Beerman has struggled in recent years. In a recent press release, the company said total sales for the four weeks ended July 29 fell 2.6 percent to $35 million from $35.9 million last year.

All sales figures exclude leased department store sales.

Elder-Beerman added that it expects second quarter losses of between $2.6 million, or 18 cents a share, and $3.3 million, or 22 cents a share. The outlook for the quarter, which ended July 29, includes costs associated with the exploration of strategic alternatives, severance expenses incurred in connection with the departure of the company's former president and chief operating officer and expenses related to a proxy contest that was settled July 20.

Elder-Beerman said the industry as a whole posted "disappointing" second quarter sales, requiring higher-than-expected markdowns to clear inventory. Same-store sales for the year-to-date period fell 1.7 percent. Total year-to-date sales, excluding leased department stores, rose 1.5 percent to $273 million from $268.9 million last year.

The firm has a long tradition in the department store business in the Midwest. A wide variety of information on the firm is available at its web site, www.elderbeerman.com.



	Elder-Beerman may, or may not, be coming to Plover Ah, nothing like a bit of mystery on the local economic development scene. This week's drama: Is the Elder-Beerman department store chain building in the Plover Plaza? Area media reported that this week, and village of Plover officials were confident enough to release the name of the Dayton, Ohio, based firm. But an official in the firm's public information office said Wednesday it was her understanding that Elder-Beerman representatives had committed only to visiting a potential store site. Ginny Focky of the firm's public information office said she had no knowledge of plans to build in Plover. That contradicted with information distributed widely by Plover officials this week. A release by Richard Holden, the village's economic development manager, issued on Tuesday, proclaimed, "I can finally release the name of the new Plover Plaza anchor store - Elder-Beerman." Village officials also reported that the store would be 53,000-square-feet and would be the anchor tenant in Plover Plaza, a retail development on the same site as the new Copps Corp. and ShopKo stores along Highway B on the southern edge of the village. Elder-Beerman is the nation's ninth largest department store chain. The firm has 58 full-line department stores and two super-size furniture stores in eight Midwest states. The firm operates stores in Green Bay and Beloit and will open a store this fall in West Bend. As with other department store chains across the country, Elder-Beerman has struggled in recent years. In a recent press release, the company said total sales for the four weeks ended July 29 fell 2.6 percent to $35 million from $35.9 million last year. All sales figures exclude leased department store sales. Elder-Beerman added that it expects second quarter losses of between $2.6 million, or 18 cents a share, and $3.3 million, or 22 cents a share. The outlook for the quarter, which ended July 29, includes costs associated with the exploration of strategic alternatives, severance expenses incurred in connection with the departure of the company's former president and chief operating officer and expenses related to a proxy contest that was settled July 20. Elder-Beerman said the industry as a whole posted "disappointing" second quarter sales, requiring higher-than-expected markdowns to clear inventory. Same-store sales for the year-to-date period fell 1.7 percent. Total year-to-date sales, excluding leased department stores, rose 1.5 percent to $273 million from $268.9 million last year. The firm has a long tradition in the department store business in the Midwest. A wide variety of information on the firm is available at its web site, www.elderbeerman.com.