Retailers are still struggling to make gains in the current economy.

Sales at The Bon-Ton Stores fell 1 percent in April amid inconsistent shopping patterns, the company said this week.

April started out positively, but sales dropped as the month progressed, The Bon-Ton said.

For the first quarter, same-store sales fell 4.6 percent, while total sales fell 5.1 percent to $700.2 million.

The Bon-Ton operates stores in the Lehigh Valley and Phillipsburg Mall.

The KNBT division of National Penn Bank has donated $3,901 to the Lehigh Valley Independent School Scholarship Program, with the funds targeted for The Hillside School in Macungie.

The money will be used to support scholarships for students with learning disabilities, according to a news release. National Penn completed the merger in February of KNBT Bancorp.