UNITED STATES SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION Washington, DC 20549

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(D) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

~~Pursuant~~Date toof ~~Section 13~~Report ~~or 15~~(d) Date of ~~the~~earliest ~~Securities~~event ~~Exchange~~reported): December 29, ~~Act of 1934~~2017

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): December 14, 2017

THE BON-TON STORES, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Pennsylvania	0-19517	23-2835229
(State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)
(State or Other Jurisdiction Of Incorporation)	(Commission File Number)	(IRS Employer Identification No.)

2801 E. Market Street, York, Pennsylvania 17402

(Address of ~~Principal~~principal ~~Executive~~executive ~~Offices~~offices, zip code)

(717-) 757-7660 Registrant’s telephone number, including area code

(Registrant’s Telephone Number, including Area Code)

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, If Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

☐ o Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

☐ o Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

☐ o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

☐ o Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is an emerging growth company as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act of 1933 (§230.405 of this chapter) or Rule 12b-2 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (§240.12b-2 of this chapter). Emerging growth company o

~~Emerging~~If an emerging growth company, ☐indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. o

IfItem an5.02. ~~emerging~~Departure ~~growth~~of ~~company,~~Directors ~~indicate~~or byCertain ~~check~~Officers; ~~mark~~Election ifof ~~the~~Directors; ~~registrant~~Appointment ~~has~~of ~~elected~~Certain ~~not~~Officers; toCompensatory ~~use~~Arrangements ~~the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a)~~ of ~~the~~Certain ~~Exchange Act. ☐~~Officers

~~Item~~On 8December 29, 2017, The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.~~01 Other~~ ~~Events~~(the “Company”) accepted the resignation of its Executive Vice President - Chief Financial Officer, Nancy A. Walsh, effective January 22, 2018. Ms. Walsh is leaving the Company to accept a position as chief financial officer of a specialty retailer of decorative home furnishings and gifts. In connection with her resignation, Ms. Walsh has repaid the amount of the retention award paid to her by the Company in November 2017.

The ~~Bon-Ton~~Company ~~Department~~also ~~Stores,~~announced ~~Inc~~that Michael G. Culhane, aage ~~wholly~~55, ~~owned~~joined ~~subsidiary~~the ofCompany ~~The~~on ~~Bon-Ton~~January ~~Stores~~2, ~~Inc~~2018, to be the Executive Vice President — Chief Financial Officer. Mr. Culhane will have responsibility for Accounting, ~~has~~Treasury, ~~elected~~Tax, toCredit, Investor ~~exercise~~Relations, ~~the~~Legal ~~30-day~~and ~~grace~~Internal ~~period~~Audit. ~~under~~Mr. Culhane ~~the~~has ~~terms~~held a variety of financial leadership roles, primarily in the ~~indenture~~department ~~governing~~store ~~its~~industry, 8throughout his career.~~00%~~ ~~Second~~He ~~Lien~~most ~~Senior~~recently ~~Secured~~served ~~Notes~~as ~~due~~President ~~2021~~and toco-founder ~~extend~~of ~~the~~TMAG, Inc., ~~timeframe~~a ~~for~~firm ~~making~~providing ~~the~~CFO ~~cash~~consulting ~~interest~~services, ~~payment~~from ~~due~~November 2016 onto ~~December~~the ~~15,~~present. ~~2017~~Mr. ~~The~~ Culhane ~~amount~~served as Chief Financial Officer of ~~the~~Fareportal, Inc., ~~interest~~an ~~payment~~on-line istravel ~~approximately~~booking ~~$14~~provider, ~~million~~from April 2015 to October 2016. ~~The~~From ~~lenders~~2009 ~~under~~to 2014, he served as the ~~Company~~Chief Financial Officer of Hudson’s ~~Second~~Bay ~~Amended~~Company. ~~Revolving~~Mr. Culhane ~~Credit~~served ~~Facility~~as ~~have~~the ~~confirmed~~Chief ~~that~~Financial ~~the~~Officer ~~exercise~~and Executive Vice President of ~~the~~Lord & ~~30-day~~Taylor ~~grace~~from ~~period~~2004 ~~will~~to ~~not~~2009 ~~impact~~and held other executive financial positions with the May Department Stores Company’s ~~ability~~from 1997 to ~~continue~~2004. Additionally, he held several roles, including Partner with Arthur Andersen LLP from 1984 to ~~borrow~~1997. ~~under~~Mr. Culhane ~~that~~holds ~~facility~~a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He is a Certified Public Accountant and a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.

~~SIGNATURES~~The Company and Mr. Culhane entered into an offer letter dated December 29, 2017 (the “Offer Letter”) and effective as of January 2, 2018 (the “Effective Date”). Mr. Culhane will assume his role with the Company on the Effective Date.

~~Pursuant~~The Offer Letter does not provide for a term of employment and provides for an initial base salary of $600,000 per year. The Offer Letter also provides that Mr. Culhane will be paid a signing bonus of $600,000 on the Effective Date. The signing bonus is paid subject to an Agreement dated January 2, 2018. The Agreement provides that Mr. Culhane is paid a cash award (the ~~requirements~~“Award”) ofthat is subject to repayment if Mr. Culhane’s employment is terminated under certain circumstances prior to January 1, 2019. In the ~~Securities~~event ~~Exchange~~that ~~Act~~his ofemployment ~~1934~~is terminated prior to January 1, 2019 due to a termination by the ~~registrant~~Company ~~has~~for ~~duly~~“Cause” ~~caused~~(as ~~this~~defined ~~report~~in the Agreement) or any termination by him other than for “Good Reason” (as defined in the Agreement), Mr. Culhane must repay to bethe ~~signed~~Company onthe ~~its~~entire ~~behalf~~amount of the Award. In the event that his employment by the ~~undersigned~~Company ~~hereunto~~is ~~duly~~terminated ~~authorized~~prior to January 1, 2019 due to his death or disability, a termination by the Company without Cause or a termination by him for Good Reason, Mr. Culhane is not obligated to repay to the Company any amount of the Award.

The Offer Letter provides that Mr. Culhane will be eligible for a bonus under The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. ByAmended and Restated Cash Bonus Plan under the following parameters: ~~/s/~~a ~~Nancy~~target A.bonus ~~Walsh~~of ~~Nancy~~75% Aof base salary, a threshold bonus of 37.5% ~~Walsh~~of ~~Executive~~base ~~Vice~~salary, ~~President~~and –a ~~Chief~~maximum ~~Financial~~bonus ~~Officer~~of 150% of base salary.

~~Dated:~~The ~~December~~Company 18has agreed to reimburse Mr. Culhane for commuting expenses up to $50,000 ~~2017~~for each calendar year.

Mr. Culhane will also be eligible to participate in the Company’s health plans and other plans and programs generally available to the Company’s employees and executives. He will also be entitled to participate in The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. Executive Severance Pay Plan (the “Severance Plan”) pursuant to which, if Mr. Culhane’s employment is terminated without cause or in the event he resigns for good reason, he will be entitled to a cash severance benefit equal to one times his annual base salary. Upon a qualifying termination, Mr. Culhane would be eligible to receive a cash stipend equal to the amount he is required to pay under COBRA in order to maintain the medical and dental insurance coverage he is receiving at the date of his termination for one year. In order to receive these payments, Mr. Culhane must, among other things, execute and deliver to the Company a Confidentiality, Non-Competition and Non-Solicitation Agreement.

The description of the material terms of the Offer Letter and the Agreement set forth herein are qualified in their entirety by the Offer Letter and the Agreement, which are attached to this Current Report on Form 8-K as Exhibit 10.1 and Exhibit 10.2, respectively, and incorporated herein by reference. The full text of the press release is attached hereto as Exhibit 99.1.

Item 9.01 Exhibits

Exhibit Number		Description

10.1		Offer Letter Dated December 29, 2017

10.2		Agreement dated January 2, 2018

99.1		Press Release issued January 3, 2018 announcing the resignation of Ms. Walsh and the election of Mr. Culhane

EXHIBIT INDEX

Exhibit
Number		Description of Exhibit

10.1		Offer Letter Dated December 29, 2017

10.2		Agreement dated January 2, 2018

99.1		Press Release issued January 3, 2018 announcing the resignation of Ms. Walsh and the election of Mr. Culhane

SIGNATURE

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

	THE BON-TON STORES, INC.


	By:	/s/ Nancy A. Walsh
		Nancy A. Walsh
		Executive Vice President — Chief Financial Officer


Dated: January 3, 2018

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