Younkers gift cards good until April 30

Holders of Younkers gift cards and gift certificates have 10 days to use them or lose them.

York, Penn.-based Bon-Ton Stores began going-out-of-business sales Friday at all its stores. Those approximately 200 U.S. stores include Younkers, Bergner's, Boston Stores, Carson's, Elder-Beerman and Herberger's.

Younkers operates stores in Cedar Rapids at Lindale and Westdale malls and at Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville.

The company also said on its website that:

' After April 30, the stores will take only cash or nationally recognized bank credit cards.

' In-store and online returns won't be accepted after April 30.

' Gift cards, coupons and merchandise credits no longer can be redeemed for cash.

' Bon-Ton coupons and private label credit cards no longer are valid.

The company estimates all store closings will be completed in 10 to 12 weeks.

In bankruptcy, the Bon-Ton Stores failed to find buyers for the stores.

A joint venture of debt holders, including Great American Group and Tiger Capital Group, was approved Wednesday by a U.S. Bankruptcy Court.

'While this is not the outcome that anyone with the company had hoped for,” the company said on its website, 'we remain committed to working constructively with the joint-venture parties to wind down operations as smoothly as possible to minimize the impact of this development on our associates, customers, vendors and the communities we serve.”