US department store chain Bon-Ton files for bankruptcy

New York

BON-TON Stores Inc said on Sunday that it filed for bankruptcy protection to restructure its debt and explore a potential sale, making it the first major US brick-and-mortar retailer to do so this year.

Department store operators have been struggling to fend off online sellers such as Amazon.com Inc as shoppers increasingly choose to shop over the Internet, resulting in a decline in mall footfalls.