THE by Boscov The Camp Hill store is now much brighter.

The lights have always been on at the 39-year-old Camp Hill Mall department store, but the store is now noticeably brighter.

It’s part of a multi-million dollar renovation that began in February and was just completed by the Reading-based retailer.

Jim Boscov, CEO of Boscov’s, said the lighting itself makes a big difference and with the new tile floors, carpet and fixtures, he says it’s like a brand new store.

“When I walked into the store, I think it was about 10 days ago — I was absolutely blown away,” Boscov said in an interview Thursday. “I just thought it was light and bright and attractive as can be. I was very impressed. I was impressed by the colleagues. I was impressed with the inventory. I felt very, very good about it.

This was the first major renovation of the Camp Hill store. Boscov’s also recently completed a major store renovation project at the York Galleria shopping center in Springettsbury Township.

The company has made a number of major renovations to its stores and typically does about two per year. A 39-year-old store, open almost every day of the year, needs an upgrade, Boscov said.

“We may take good care of our stores, but these stores age, like everything, and they need to be refreshed periodically and it’s necessary to do that to stay relevant,” he said.

But Boscov said big renovation projects aren’t just about fresh paint and new floors. This gives the retailer the ability to reconfigure stores to suit today’s customers, making it easier for them to shop.

“Over the years, business has changed,” he said. “We didn’t have a plus-size men’s department when we opened this store. Dresses have become more important over time. Sportswear (became) more important. And we must give it the right place. This is an opportunity to resize departments to reflect their importance in today’s world and also highlight them in a more attractive way.

The project included an increase in the store’s assortment of children’s shoes. Boscov’s has also modified its adult footwear section with more products in the sales area. The shoe space is now much larger, at approximately 11,000 square feet. Store sales have increased since the new shoe area opened, said store manager Clarence Banks.

“In our footwear sector we have introduced ‘open sale’, which customers seem to prefer and that surprises me. My grandfather taught me how to sell shoes by bringing shoes from the warehouse, getting on my knees and helping to fit them. What we find is that many customers prefer to have the visibility of seeing what’s in stock there and trying (the shoes). themselves). They find it preferable,” he said. “We certainly want to offer that to the person who wants it, but we continue to provide service to the customer who also wants it. »

A self-checkout area has also been added. Boscov said customers’ preference for self-service also surprised him.

“To test it, we placed four full-service checkouts next to three self-serve checkouts and there were people who chose to go one way or the other,” he said. “One of the things I’ve heard people say is, ‘I don’t want to do self-service because it will cost people their jobs.’ This is not the case. If we can get one person off the register, that means another person we can put on the sales floor to help people.

The discount area, Bargain Central, is now called Bargain Outlets, which has now been moved into the store. Bargain Outlets was introduced at the start of the year and the new space opened in recent months. The discount area is almost like a store within a store with its own departments including clothing, shoes, accessories, pets, beauty and home. Bargain Outlets has a feature for clearance items called “Last Call Clearance” and another feature called “Item of the Week.” Last week’s featured item, for example, was a $5 lantern.

“These are crazy priced items, in small quantities, so if people see something they like, they should buy it today because it won’t be around for long. But there are always new things arriving. And people are starting to understand that,” Boscov said.

The department store has also expanded its cosmetics offering and has a separately defined space called the ‘Indulge Studio’.

Boscov said many women now get their makeup, hair and skin care advice from social media sites like Tik Tok and he says the retailer notices customers are coming into the store to find the products they see on social media.

The popular candy counter was removed during construction and now has a new place in the store where women’s sportswear was located. There’s a fudge machine and the store will make toasted nuts in the future.

“During the renovation, this was the most frequently asked question. Where are the candies? When does it come back? Banks said.

Other updates include:

• The maternity room has been expanded and now also includes a breastfeeding room.
• An expansion of its selection of furniture.
• The retailer has changed its curtains and draperies department. Previously, customers had to go to the warehouse to find what they were looking for. Now the stock will be right next to the curtains.
• The retailer has expanded its selection of big and tall clothing for women, juniors plus and men.
• Boscov’s original area has been redone.
• Sportswear for men and women has developed.
• The store’s travel and optical centers have expanded.
• Boscov’s has added additional parking for curbside pickup.
• The store added brand new lighting.
• The toilets were added to the first floor. Stairs have been removed from the second floor as guests will no longer need to go upstairs.
• There are now three-way registers and the registers on the sales floor have been reconfigured.

Stores at Camp Hill Mall and York Galleria Mall remained open throughout the renovations.

Boscov said the company is doing well, but notes there’s no doubt it’s a very competitive market.

“People are very worried. They want to make sure they are spending their money wisely. And frankly, that concern bodes well for us because I think people understand that at Boscov, they know they’re going to get a great deal,” Boscov said.

Boscov said spending habits were different during the COVID-19 pandemic, when people were stuck at home. They were buying more home items and shopping for casual clothes. As things started to open up, customers started buying much dressier clothes. He said the sales reflect spending habits similar to those before the pandemic.

Ultimately, it all comes down to employees and customers. Boscov said the Camp Hill store has several employees who have been there for 10, 20 or 30 years and several who have been there since day one, 39 years ago.

During his recent visit to the Camp Hill store, he said he enjoyed talking to both employees and customers.

“What I enjoyed more than anything was walking around the store (and) talking to customers who were excited and happy and expressing their appreciation for Boscov,” he said.

Boscov’s is hosting a week-long celebration at its stores at Camp Hill Shopping Center and York Galleria Shopping Center, which began Thursday and ends Wednesday, October 30.

Boscov’s was founded 110 years ago and operates 50 stores in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Delaware, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Ohio and West Virginia. The retailer claims it is the largest family-owned department store chain in the country.