Here in Berks County, we didn’t just shop at a department store—we “Boscov’d.” The playful question “Did you Boscov today?” became one of Pennsylvania retail’s most recognizable slogans, a little wink that turned a family-run chain into a hometown habit. It worked because the line sounded like what neighbors actually said to one another after work or at church: “We Boscov’d.” It made errands feel like belonging.
The spirit behind the slogan was Albert “Al” Boscov, the ebullient second-generation merchant who spent decades turning his parents’ modest Reading shop into a regional chain. Al loved showmanship—parades, fireworks, in-store carnivals, celebrity visits—and he loved a memorable hook. By the 1980s, “Did you Boscov today?” had taken hold in the company’s advertising, appearing in radio spots, print ads, and cheerful in-store announcements. The phrase was both a reminder and a nudge: stop by, see what’s new, and say hello. Contemporary coverage ties the line’s emergence to that period, crediting Al with bringing it into the brand’s marketing mix in the ’80s.
Why did it stick? First, it sounded like us. Turning the store’s name into a verb made Boscov’s feel local and lived-in, not corporate. Second, it matched the company’s community-first posture—telethons, charity drives, parade sponsorships, fairground events. When a retailer is on your Little League banner and your jazz fest program, a folksy tagline rings true rather than canned. Trade and business histories that chronicle the chain’s growth repeatedly mention the line (sometimes rendered as “Have You Boscoved Today?”), a sign that it became part of how outsiders described the brand as well…