8-K

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, DC  20549

________________

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of

the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

October 6, 2011

(Date of Report, Date of Earliest Event Reported)

Stage Stores, Inc.

(Exact Name of Registrant as Specified in Charter)

1-14035

(Commission File Number)

NEVADA (State or Other Jurisdiction of Incorporation)	91-1826900 (I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
10201 Main Street, Houston, Texas (Address of Principal Executive Offices)	77025 (Zip Code)

(800) 579-2302

(Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)

Not Applicable

(Former Name or Former Address, if Changed Since Last Report)

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligation of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

o   Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

o   Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-12(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

o   Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01                      Other Events

On October 6, 2011, Stage Stores, Inc. issued a News Release reporting its September 2011 sales results.  A copy of the News Release is attached to this Form 8-K as Exhibit 99.

Item 9.01                      Financial Statements and Exhibits

(d)                     Exhibits

99            News Release issued by Stage Stores, Inc. on October 6, 2011, reporting its September 2011 sales results.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, hereunto duly authorized.

	STAGE STORES, INC.
October 7, 2011	/s/ Richard E. Stasyzen
(Date)	Richard E. Stasyszen
	Senior Vice President, Finance and Controller

EX-99

Exhibit 99

NEWS RELEASE

CONTACT:

Bob Aronson

Vice President, Investor Relations

800-579-2302

(baronson@stagestores.com)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

STAGE STORES REPORTS SEPTEMBER SALES

PROVIDES UPDATE ON STOCK REPURCHASE ACTIVITY

HOUSTON, TX, October 6, 2011 - Stage Stores, Inc. (NYSE: SSI) today reported total sales of $118 million for the five week September period ended October 1, 2011.  Comparable store sales for September decreased 0.7%.

Merchandise categories that achieved comparable store sales increases during September were cosmetics, footwear, home & gifts and junior’s.  Geographically, the Southeast and Midwest regions had comparable store sales gains during the month.

The Company also reported that it opened five new Goody’s stores and one new Bealls store, and reopened a fire-damaged store, during September.  New Goody’s stores were opened in Crawfordsville and Wabash, IN, Knoxville, TN and Meridian and Booneville, MS.  A new Bealls store was opened in Riverton, WY.  The Company noted that Wyoming becomes its 40th state.

SALES SUMMARY

	Comparable Store Sales		Total Sales
	% Increase (Decrease)		($ in Millions)
Fiscal Period	2011	2010	2011	2010
1st Quarter	0.2	(0.6)	346	340
2nd Quarter	0.9	(1.6)	353	345
August	(1.7)	0.5	113	114
September	(0.7)	1.8	118	118
Quarter-To-Date	(1.2)	1.2	231	232
Year-To-Date (8 Mos)	0.1	(0.6)	930	917

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Stage Stores Reports

September Sales

Page - 2

Stock Repurchase Activity

The Company reported today that it repurchased 2.3 million shares of its common stock during the nine-week August and September period at a total cost of $34.1 million.  Of the $34.1 million spent in the period, $26.0 million came from the Company’s $200 million Stock Repurchase Program and $8.1 million came from proceeds available to the Company from the exercise of employee stock options. As of the end of September, the company had spent a total of $100 million on the current Stock Repurchase Program and met its repurchase goal for 2011.  The Company noted that the guidance provided on August 18th reflected only the shares that had been repurchased through the first half of the year and did not include any assumptions for additional share buybacks.  The $34.1 million spent in the first nine weeks of the third quarter and the resulting lower share count is anticipated to have a $0.02 per share negative impact on the loss per share in the third quarter.

About Stage Stores

Stage Stores, Inc. brings nationally recognized brand name apparel, accessories, cosmetics and footwear for the entire family to small and mid-size towns and communities through 805 stores located in 40 states.  For more information about Stage Stores, visit the Company’s web site at www.stagestoresinc.com.

Caution Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This document contains “forward-looking statements”. Forward-looking statements reflect our expectations regarding future events and operating performance and often contain words such as "believe", "expect", "may", "will", "should", "could", "anticipate", "plan" or similar words.  In this document, forward-looking statements include comments regarding the anticipated impact on the third quarter’s loss per share from the lower share count.  Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements.  These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, those in our Annual Report on Form 10-K as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC") on March 30, 2011, and other factors as may periodically be described in our other filings with the SEC.  Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this document.  We do not undertake to update our forward-looking statements.

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