Bergner's To Exit Urbana, Ill.

Saks. Inc. (Birmingham, Ala.) has announced plans to close its 104,000-square-foot Bergner's department store in the Lincoln Square Mall in Urbana, Ill., in March 2002.

The 350-unit department store organization currently operates a 154,000-square-foot Bergner's in Champaign, Ill., Urbana's sister city, which will remain open. There are 12 other Bergner's stores in Illinois.

“We believe the interests of our customers and of our company are best met by closing the Bergner's store in Urbana and by focusing our efforts and resources on our nearby Champaign location,” said Michael MacDonald, president of the Saks'Northern Department Stores Group and chairman and ceo of Carson Pirie Scott & Co. (which includes Bergner's).

Saks Inc., the former Proffitt's operation that began buying up department store chains around the Midwest and Southeast in the 1990s (as well as Saks Fifth Avenue, in 1998) currently operates Saks Department Store Group with 41 Parisian specialty department stores and 203 traditional department stores under the Proffitt's, McRae's, Younkers, Herberger's, Carson Pirie Scott, Bergner's and Boston Store banners. The company also operates Saks Fifth Avenue Enterprises, consisting of 63 Saks Fifth Avenue stores and 51 Saks Off 5th stores.