Boscov’s Department Store: Have you Boscoved Today?


May 20, 2023


Today, Boscov’s is America’s
largest family-owned department store.


Family-owned for over 100 years and a hundred more to come…


There are 50 Boscov’s Department Stores in the United States.

Eighteen-year-old Russian-born Solomon “Sol” Boscov emigrated from Russia to Reading, Pennsylvania in 1911. Upon his arrival, he had $1.37 in his pocket, the equivalent of $39.84 by today’s standards. As a traveling salesman, with $8 worth of merchandise and the ability to speak Yiddish, he was able to converse and do business with the farmers in Berks County who spoke Pennsylvania Dutch.

In 1914, Boscov opened the first Boscov’s store at 9th and Pike Streets in Reading. Today, a Pennsylvania Historical Marker commemorating Solomon Boscov stands at the site of the original store.

In 1960, Solomon Boscov retired and was succeeded by his son Albert “Albie” Boscov as head of the company.

The 1960s were years of great expansion for Albie Boscov and by 1968 he had five stores, 2,200 workers and annual sales exceeding $50 million. In that same year, Boscov opened his first location outside of Berks County where he set up shop at the Lebanon Valley Mall in Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

In 1980, Boscov bought Fowler, Dick and Walker, the Boston Store, one of Wilkes-Barre’s last remaining downtown department stores and Boscov’s first multi-story store.

Boscov’s in Binghamton, New York

During the 1980s, Boscov opened locations in Dover, Delaware and Binghamton, New York.



In 2006, Albie Boscov retired and his nephew Kenneth Lakin became chairman and chief executive. Lakin had aggressive business practices and by 2008 had opened 10 new stores. The new stores did not perform as expected and, in August 2008, just prior to the 2008 economic downturn, Boscov’s filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Albie Boscov came out of retirement, regained control of the company and brought it out of bankruptcy in September 2009.

Albert Boscov died from pancreatic cancer on February 10, 2017, at the age of eighty-seven. The chain is now headed by his nephew, Jim Boscov.

Boscov’s saw record sales of $1.2 billion in 2017. With 50 stores to date, Boscov’s plans to open one store per year and has invested in older stores by renovating them.

In 2019, Boscov’s moved into the Providence Mall in Providence, Rhode Island, taking over the space left by the departure of the Nordstrom store.

Boscov’s, where you can drop off donations for the food drive, buy your daughter’s first Girl Scouts uniform, purchase a new outfit or find that perfect something for your home. You’ll find it all at Boscov’s!

Gloria Sauvé
Communications