25 Years of Growth at Stage Stores Inc.

Stage Stores, Inc. sells moderately priced, brand name and private label apparel, accessories, cosmetics and footwear for the entire family. There are currently 864 stores operating under the Bealls, Goody’s, Palais Royal, Peebles, Stage, and Steele’s trade names across 40 states. The company continues to grow in small and mid-sized markets.

Although two family businesses were started way back in the 1920’s, it wasn’t until 1988 that Bealls and Palais Royal would merge to form Specialty Retailers Inc., headquartered in Houston, TX. Over the next 25 years, the company would continue to grow. Some notable acquisitions include:

• 1992 – acquired 76-store chain Fashion Bar of Denver, included a Juniors’ concept called Stage
• 1994 – 45 Beall-Ladymon stores were acquired
• 1996 – acquired 34 Uhlman’s stores
• 1997 – purchased 246-store chain, C.R. Anthony Company
• 2003 – Peebles, Inc. was acquired, which operated 136 stores
• 2006 – the BC Moore chain of 78 locations was acquired
• 2009 – the Goody’s name was purchased through the company’s bankruptcy auction

Most acquired stores were rebranded with the Bealls and Stage trade name. The Peebles name, however, was maintained and the company’s office in South Hill, VA continued to operate as a subsidiary. Last month it was announced that this office would close and operations would be consolidated with the company’s headquarters.

The company went public under the name of Stage Stores Inc. in 1996. Last year, Stage Stores Inc. was 30^th on Chain Store Guide’s Top Apparel Specialty Stores, ranked by headquarters sales. The company recently announced its 2012 sales figures increased 8.9% to $1.65 billion.

Stage Stores Inc. Annual Sales at FYE

Found in Chain Store Guide’s database of Apparel Specialty Stores, the company grew from 813 to 864 stores over the past fiscal year. New store growth included 25 traditional stores and 31 stores of a new off-price concept called Steele’s. The new concept introduced smaller stores at 12,000 sq. ft.  Most company stores average between 18,000 to 20,000 sq. ft. but 300 of the company’s stores are larger than 50,000 sq. ft. The majority of the chain’s stores are located in strip malls, with the remainder found in local or regional malls. Stage Stores Inc. announced a plan for 40 new stores in 2013, with a continued focus on the newest concept, Steele’s.

For more information on Stage Stores Inc. and other top apparel retailers, check out Chain Store Guide’s database of Apparel Specialty Stores.