Stage Stores May Same-store Sales Off 7.2 Percent

HOUSTON (AP) — Clothing retailer Stage Stores Inc. said Thursday its May same-store sales dropped 7.2 percent, a bigger declined than Wall Street expected.

Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters predicted same-store sales would fall 6 percent.

Same-store sales, or sales at stores open at least a year, are a key indicator of retailer performance since they measure growth at existing stores rather than newly opened ones.

Stage Stores said its stronger categories included accessories, cosmetics, dresses, intimates, men's, misses sportswear, petites and plus sizes. Sales were better within the Mid Atlantic and the Southwest and softest in the Southeast.

For the period ended May 30, total sales dropped 4.7 percent to $116.8 million.

Houston-based Stage Stores runs 747 stores in 39 states under the Bealls, Palais Royal, Peebles and Stage brands.