Bealls’ Carson City grand opening set for April 24

Bealls, the family apparel store going into Carson Mall, plans an April 24 grand opening and will release more details on any soft opening and related matters in a couple of weeks.

Rachel Goodman, Stage Stores public-relations and special events spokeswoman for the Texas-based chain that runs stores under several nameplates, said the 20,000-square-foot Bealls outlet in Carson City will handle apparel and related items for infants to adults, as well as cosmetics and fragrances. Soft openings by retail chains often precede grand-opening events.

“We’re excited to come to Carson City,” said Goodman, indicating Monday that the opening process details and announcements were still in the works. She did say it was her understanding that ads for jobs at the store will be posted online, and there might be job fairs at some point. She said she would provide that information with other details as it becomes available.

“I do believe they do the job fairs,” she said.

Stage Stores operates some 900 stores in most states under the names Bealls, Goody’s, Palais Royal, Peebles, Stage and Steele’s. Most of the nameplates are for department store logos; the Steele’s name is Stage Stores’ off-price entry.

The firm, with corporate headquarters in Houston, has buying offices both there and in New York City, where its stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol SSI. The stock last closed at $18.50 per share.

Stage Stores, which went public in 1996, now has a market capitalization of more than $577 million. In 2012, the firm reported more than $1.6 billion in sales. It employs approximately 14,500.

In 2013, Stage Stores opened 29 new outlets. The firm also sells to consumers online. In a mission statement, however, the company focused primarily on the bricks-and-mortar part of its operation. It said it seeks to be “America’s leading small town and neighborhood retailer.”