Herberger's closing Twin Cities' store that many never knew about

Bon-Ton stores announced Wednesday that it is closing 47 stores in 2018, including department store names such as Herberger's, Carson's, Bergner's, Younkers, Elder-Beerman and the Boston Store. The company is headquartered in Milwaukee and York, Pennsylvania.

"As part of the comprehensive turnaround plan we announced in November, we are taking the next steps in our efforts to move forward with a more productive store footprint," said Bill Tracy, president and CEO of Bon-Ton stores in a statement..

Most of the store closings are in Wisconsin, Indiana, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Iowa. The only Minnesota store on the list is the Herberger's Clearance Center in Maplewood, which may have been unfamiliar to many, although it had its share of devoted fans.

The store, which is the only Herberger's outlet in the country, is expected to close in 10 to 12 weeks, according to a store employee. Closing signs were put up Wednesday evening. Three other clearance centers under the Carson's and Boston banners are also closing in other states.

The Herberger's outlet opened in 2014 in the Birch Run Station strip mall selling many items at 70 percent off the regular retail price. What made the outlet different from most is that all of the merchandise came from Bon-Ton's full-line stores, rather than having goods made specifically for the clearance center. The Maplewood location has a sizable home goods section, in addition to women's and men's clothing and accessories,

Herberger's has 20 full-line stores in Minnesota, including St. Paul Midway, Southtown, Southdale and the recently remodeled Rosedale store.. The Rosedale store is only a few miles away from the clearance outlet.

Current sale prices include men's and women's tops for $5, jeans $8, shoes $20 and kids' apparel for $4 to $25.