Stage Stores, Inc. reported that its total sales for the five week March period ended March 31 increased 7.5 percent to $144 million from $134 million in the prior year five week period ended April 2, 2011. Comparable store sales increased 4.7 percent.
The company achieved comparable store sales increases in its accessories, children’s, cosmetics, dresses, footwear, home & gifts, junior’s, misses sportswear and petites categories during March. Geographically, the Mid Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, South Central and Southwest regions all had comparable store sales gains during the month.
SALES SUMMARY | |||||||||||||||
Comparable Store Sales | Total Sales | ||||||||||||||
% Increase (Decrease) | ($ in Millions) | ||||||||||||||
Fiscal Period | 2012 | 2011 | 2012 | 2011 | |||||||||||
| February | 3.7 | (7.2 | ) | 101 | 94 | ||||||||||
| March | 4.7 | (5.3 | ) | 144 | 134 | ||||||||||
| 1st Qtr-To-Date | 4.3 | (6.1 | ) | 245 | 228 | ||||||||||
“We are pleased with our 4.7 percent increase in comparable store sales, which benefited from warmer than normal weather and an earlier Easter versus last year,” said Michael Glazer, interim president and CEO. “Conversely, the earlier Easter will have a negative impact on April’s comparable store sales, as will a shift in a Mother’s Day event to May this year from April last year.”
Store Activity
The company opened one new Goody’s store and six new Steele’s stores during March. The Goody’s store was opened in Montgomery, AL. The Steele’s stores were opened in Mexia and Hidalgo, TX, Donaldsonville and Natchitoches, LA, and Guymon and Ada, OK.
