UNITED
STATES
SECURITIES
AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington,
D.C. 20549
FORM
8-K
CURRENT
REPORT
Pursuant
to Section 13 or 15(d) of
The
Securities Exchange Act of 1934
February
17, 2006
(Date of
Report, date of earliest event reported)
Stage
Stores, Inc.
(Exact
name of registrant as specified in its charter)
1-14035
(Commission
File Number)
|
NEVADA |
91-1826900 |
|
(State
or other jurisdiction of incorporation) |
(I.R.S.
Employer Identification No.) |
|
|
|
|
10201
Main Street, Houston, Texas |
77025 |
|
(Address
of principal executive offices) |
(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 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)) |
On
February 17, 2006, Stage Stores, Inc. (the "Company") entered into a definitive
agreement to acquire privately owned B.C. Moore & Sons, Incorporated ("B.C.
Moore") for approximately $37.0 million in cash. The transaction, which has been
approved by the Boards of Directors of the Company and B.C. Moore, is expected
to close within thirty days and is subject to customary closing conditions.
In
purchasing B.C. Moore, the Company will acquire 78 retail locations, located in
small markets throughout Alabama, Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina.
The Company's integration plan calls for 69 of the acquired locations to be
converted into Peebles stores, and the remaining 9 locations will be closed.
Existing merchandise inventories will be liquidated at all stores, and the
continuing 69 stores will be remodeled, re-merchandised, and reopened as Peebles
stores. The grand openings of the newly converted Peebles stores will occur in
phases beginning in July through October. In order to allow it to remain focused
on its core business and operations, the Company expects to engage a third party
to manage the acquired stores through the completion of the inventory
liquidation sales process.
A copy of
the Company's News Release announcing this transaction is attached to this Form
8-K as Exhibit 99.
|
Item
9.01. |
Financial
Statements and Exhibits. |
| |
99 |
News
release issued by Stage Stores, Inc. on February 20, 2006 announcing
the signing of a definitive agreement to acquire privately owned B.C.
Moore & Sons, Incorporated. |
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.
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STAGE
STORES, INC. |
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February
22, 2006 |
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/s/
Michael E. McCreery |
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(Date) |
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Michael
E. McCreery |
|
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|
Executive
Vice President and Chief Financial Officer |
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