In July 1994, The Bon-Ton purchased the 127-year-old Adam, Meldrum, and Anderson Company chain based in Buffalo, New York, for $42.6 million. Around the same time, The Bon-Ton also purchased Chappell's of Syracuse, New York, and Hess's of Allentown, Pennsylvania. The Bon-Ton initially retained and operated Hess's flagship location until 1996, when it closed after nearly 100 years of continuous operation. The site was eventually demolished. Its Allentown store, Hess's former south Allentown location, was the anchor of the South Mall. In 1995, The Bon-Ton entered the Rochester, New York market in three former McCurdy's locations, as well as in a former McCurdy's space (originally Iszard's) in Elmira. In the following spring, the company opened a fourth Rochester location in a former Sibley's/Kaufmann's location. In March 1995, The Bon-Ton closed the landmark downtown Lancaster store. Later that year, they also closed the downtown AM&A's location. 1998's expansion included a new store in Westfield, Massachusetts, making it The Bon-Ton Stores' first entry into the New England area.