Stage Stores March Comps Fall 3.9%

Stage Stores, Inc. total sales for the month ended April 1, 2006 increased 5.0% to $131.4 million from $125.2 million in the prior year five-week period ended April 2, 2005. The Company noted that this year's total sales include the sales generated by the recently acquired B.C. Moore stores. Comparable store sales, reflecting the impact of the Easter calendar shift, decreased 3.9% versus an increase of 12.1% last year, and do not include results for the B.C. Moore stores.

Jim Scarborough, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “As anticipated, our March comparable store sales results reflect the impact of the Easter calendar shift from March last year to April this year. It is encouraging to note, however, that in spite of the Easter calendar shift, our women's special sizes, intimate apparel and young men's merchandise divisions all achieved comparable store sales gains during the month. As we move into April, we are well positioned with spring merchandise to meet our customer's needs for the upcoming Easter holiday. For the first quarter, we continue to project a comparable store sales increase in the low single digits range.”

                             SALES SUMMARY
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                Comparable Store Sales Trend          Total Sales
                % Increase      (Decrease)          ($ in Millions)
                 --------------------------        -----------------
 Fiscal Period      2006           2005           2006          2005
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   February        (0.9)%          3.7%           $93.1         $92.3
     March         (3.9)           12.1           131.4         125.2
1st Qtr-To-Date    (2.6)           8.4            224.5         217.5

The Company reported that it opened five new stores during March. Three of the new store locations, Lillington, North Carolina, Plainsboro, New Jersey and Hamburg, Pennsylvania, were opened as Peebles stores. The remaining two new stores were Stage stores in Show Low, Arizona and the reopening of the Company's hurricane-damaged store in Moss Bluff, Louisiana. The Company also reported that, on April 5th, it opened two additional Peebles stores in Dickson, Tennessee and Kilmarnock, Virginia, and reopened its hurricane-damaged store in Port Arthur, Texas.