UNITED STATES
                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549

                                ----------------

                                   SCHEDULE TO
                                 (RULE 14d-100)

          TENDER OFFER STATEMENT UNDER SECTION 14(d)(1) OR 13(e)(1) OF
                       THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

                         THE ELDER-BEERMAN STORES CORP.
                       (Name of Subject Company (Issuer))

                             ELDER ACQUISITION CORP.
                            THE BON-TON STORES, INC.
                       (Names of Filing Persons (Offeror))

                           COMMON STOCK, NO PAR VALUE
                         (Title of Class of Securities)

                                    284470101
                      (Cusip Number of Class of Securities)

                               James H. Baireuther
                            The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.
                             2801 East Market Street
                            York, Pennsylvania 17402
                            Telephone: (717) 757-7660
   (Name, Address and Telephone Number of Person Authorized to Receive Notices
                 and Communications on Behalf of Filing Persons)

                                    Copy to:
                               John M. Coogan, Jr.
                     Wolf, Block, Schorr and Solis-Cohen LLP
                          1650 Arch Street, 22nd Floor
                             Philadelphia, PA 19103
                            Telephone: (215) 977-2000

                            CALCULATION OF FILING FEE



Transaction Valuation*                                      Amount of Filing Fee*
- ----------------------                                      ---------------------
                                                         
Not Applicable                                              Not Applicable



*    A filing fee is not required in connection with this filing as it relates
     solely to preliminary communications made before the commencement of a
     tender offer.

[ ]  Check box if any part of the fee is offset as provided by Rule 0-11(a)(2)
     and identify the filing with which the offsetting fee was previously paid.
     Identify the previous filing by registration statement number, or the Form
     or Schedule and the date of its filing.

                                                                 
Amount Previously Paid:         Not applicable.           Filing Party:   Not applicable
Form or Registration No.:       Not applicable.           Date Filed:     Not applicable



[X]  Check the box if the filing relates solely to preliminary communications
     made before the commencement of a tender offer

Check the appropriate boxes below to designate any transactions to which the
statement relates:

[X] third-party tender offer subject to Rule 14d-1

[ ] issuer tender offer subject to Rule 13e-4

[ ] going-private transaction subject to Rule 13e-3

[ ] amendment to Schedule 13D under Rule 13d-2

Check the following box if the filing is a final amendment reporting the results
of the tender offer. [ ]

                                      -2-

                               (THE BON TON LOGO)
                                  NEWS RELEASE


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                           CONTACT:
                                                Mary Kerr
                                                Divisional Vice President
                                                Corporate Communications
                                                (717) 751-3071


                   THE BON-TON INCREASES ITS OFFER TO ACQUIRE
                        ELDER-BEERMAN TO $7.25 PER SHARE

      YORK, PA.--SEPTEMBER 10, 2003--THE BON-TON STORES, INC. (NASDAQ: BONT)
today announced that it has increased the proposed consideration payable to
shareholders of The Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. (Nasdaq: EBSC) to $7.25 per share
in cash for each share of common stock in connection with The Bon-Ton's
definitive proposal to acquire Elder-Beerman. In a letter from Tim Grumbacher,
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of The Bon-Ton, to the Board of Directors
of Elder-Beerman, Mr. Grumbacher stated that The Bon-Ton was prepared to
immediately sign a merger agreement and promptly commence its cash tender offer
to purchase all shares of Elder-Beerman for $7.25 per share. Mr. Grumbacher also
stated that The Bon-Ton has obtained letters from its financing sources
confirming that their respective commitments remain effective to finance the
$7.25 offer.

      The nation's ninth largest independent department store chain, The
Elder-Beerman Stores Corp. is headquartered in Dayton, Ohio and operates 68
stores in Ohio, West Virginia, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Kentucky, Wisconsin,
Pennsylvania and Iowa.

      The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. operates 72 department stores in targeted markets
in Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Connecticut, Massachusetts, New
Hampshire, Vermont and West Virginia. The stores carry a broad assortment of
quality, brand-name fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children,
as well as distinctive home furnishings.

Note: Statements made in this press release, other than statements of historical
information, are forward looking statements and are made pursuant to the safe
harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such
statements involve risks and uncertainties that may cause results to differ
materially from those set forth in these statements. Factors that could cause
such differences include, but are not limited to, negotiation and completion of
a formal transaction agreement, actions taken by Elder-Beerman or other parties
and governmental regulatory processes.

THIS ANNOUNCEMENT IS PROVIDED FOR INFORMATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY AND IS NEITHER AN
OFFER TO PURCHASE NOR A SOLICITATION OF AN OFFER TO SELL SHARES OF ELDER-BEERMAN
OR THE BON-TON. THE BON-TON INTENDS TO FILE WITH THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE
COMMISSION TENDER OFFER DOCUMENTS WITH RESPECT TO THE PROPOSED TENDER OFFER.
INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE ADVISED TO READ SUCH DOCUMENTS WHEN THEY
BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY WILL INCLUDE IMPORTANT INFORMATION. INVESTORS AND
SECURITY HOLDERS MAY OBTAIN A FREE COPY OF ANY DOCUMENTS FILED BY THE BON-TON
WITH THE SEC AT THE SEC'S WEBSITE AT WWW.SEC.GOV OR FROM THE BON-TON AT 2801
EAST MARKET STREET, YORK, PA 17402, ATTN: INVESTOR RELATIONS.