By now it should not come as any great surprise that another giant retailer in the region is in trouble.

We watched as business icons such as Gimbel’s, Wanamaker’s, and Strawbridge’s disappeared from the business landscape.

Now it’s Boscov’s that’s in trouble.

Notice something about all those stores. They are more than just retail outlets. They are all family names. Boscov’s gets its moniker from Albert Boscov, who started his retailing empire in Reading. They’re still headquartered there.

And in a way, they become part of our families.

Boscov’s Monday announced they were filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and would close 10 stores. None of those to be closed are in our immediate area. Neither the Boscov’s in Granite Run Mall, nor the store in Concord Mall in Wilmington will be affected. The news was not as good for stores in Montgomery and Oxford Valley malls. Both are on the list to be shuttered.

And we lose a little bit of our uniqueness in the process.