Stage Stores December Comps Inch Up 1.2 Percent

The company achieved comparable store sales increases in its children’s, cosmetics, footwear, home & gifts, junior’s and petites categories during December. Geographically, the Mid Atlantic, South Central, Southeast and Southwest regions had comparable store sales gains during the month.

Andy Hall, president and chief executive officer, commented, “We are pleased with our December sales performance, as our key initiatives in cosmetics, non-apparel gifts, toys and eCommerce helped drive sales. Conversely, our cold weather initiative was not as successful as anticipated due to the negative impact from warm weather.”

Hall concluded, “The promotional business environment experienced on Black Friday continued throughout December as consumers remained motivated by value. While our December average unit retail was up 2.3 percent, it was not enough to offset cost inflation, and therefore will pressure our fourth quarter gross margin rate.”