Anchor space that previously housed The Bon-Ton department store at the Palmer Park Mall is once again filled with cash registers, merchandise and shoppers.

Decor Home Furniture & Mattress, a retailer of high-quality furniture for every room of the house, on Thursday opened its newest Lehigh Valley store at the western end of the mall.

The store fills a 122,000-square-foot space that has been empty since The Bon-Ton closed in 2018.

Decor Home Furniture & Mattress, a retailer of high-quality furniture for every room of the house, on Thursday opened its newest Lehigh Valley store at the western end of the Palmer Park Mall. The store fills a 122,000-square-foot anchor space that has been empty since The Bon-Ton closed in 2018. (Ryan Kneller/The Morning Call)

“We are so excited to add Decor Home to our store roster,” Palmer Park Mall general manager Leanne Deats told The Morning Call in May. “It’s a very good use for the space.”

Decor Home Furniture, which also has locations in Whitehall Township and Livingston, N.J., guarantees customers “the absolute lowest local price for furniture” and “a seamless shopping experience every single time,” according to a message on the company’s website.

“We sell the latest contemporary, modern, casual, country, traditional and luxurious furniture,” the message continues. “We are committed to providing our customers with a vast selection and high-quality brands for you to choose from. With having over 10 years of experience in the furniture industry, we are positive that our customers are sure to find exactly what they are looking for.”

The former Bon-Ton anchor space was originally occupied by Hess’s, which built the mall in 1972. Bon-Ton took it over in 1994 when it was one of two chains to buy out the financially troubled Hess’s Department Stores.

Bon-Ton itself declared bankruptcy in January 2018 and closed its Lehigh Valley locations that August.

Decor Home Furniture & Mattress, a retailer of high-quality furniture for every room of the house, on Thursday opened its newest Lehigh Valley store at the western end of the Palmer Park Mall. The store fills a 122,000-square-foot anchor space that has been empty since The Bon-Ton closed in 2018. (Palmer Park Mall/Contributed image)

Deats told The Morning Call in the spring that the mall is 85% occupied with frequent leasing inquires.

Other new mall tenants, which opened in April, include Aslan Jewelers, offering fine jewelry, watches, custom designs and repair; and Art Video Productions, a photography and video studio offering family portraits, corporate headshots, video production commercials and more.

Additionally, Mom & Pop’s General Store, offering household necessities like toilet paper and light bulbs along with a hodgepodge of collectibles, local crafts and more, opened in late November.