Basis of Presentation (Policies)	6 Months Ended
Basis of Presentation (Policies)	Jul. 28, 2012
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Fiscal Year	The accompanying Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) of Stage Stores, Inc. and subsidiaries ("Stage Stores" or the "Company") have been prepared in accordance with Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X and do not include all of the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP" or "U.S. GAAP") for complete financial statements. Those adjustments that are, in the opinion of management, necessary for a fair presentation of the results of the interim periods have been made. The results of operations for such interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the results of operations for a full year. The Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements (Unaudited) should be read in conjunction with the Audited Consolidated Financial Statements and notes thereto filed with Stage Stores' Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended January 28, 2012. References to a particular year are to Stage Stores' fiscal year, which is the 52- or 53-week period ending on the Saturday closest to January 31st of the following calendar year. For example, a reference to "2011" is a reference to the fiscal year ended January 28, 2012 and a reference to "2012" is a reference to the fiscal year ending February 2, 2013. References to "current year" pertain to the twenty-six weeks ended July 28, 2012, and references to "prior year" pertain to the twenty-six weeks ended July 30, 2011. Stage Stores is a Houston, Texas-based retailer which operates both department and off-price stores. Its department stores, which operate under the Bealls, Goody's, Palais Royal, Peebles and Stage nameplates, offer moderately priced, nationally recognized brand name and private label apparel, accessories, cosmetics and footwear for the entire family. Its off-price stores, which are called Steele's, offer brand name family apparel, accessories, footwear and home merchandise at significant savings to department store prices. As of July 28, 2012, the Company operated 834 stores located in 40 states. The Company also has an eCommerce website. Recent Accounting Standards. In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-04, Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs, to improve the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). ASU 2011-04 clarifies existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, amends certain fair value measurement principles and requires additional disclosures about fair value measurements. For public companies, the amendments in ASU 2011-04 were effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income, which eliminates the current option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statements of changes in stockholders' equity and requires entities to present comprehensive income in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The amendments do not change the components of other comprehensive income. For public companies, the new disclosure requirements were effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company adopted ASU 2011-05 on January 29, 2012 and has presented comprehensive income in a single continuous statement.
Nature of Operations	Stage Stores is a Houston, Texas-based retailer which operates both department and off-price stores. Its department stores, which operate under the Bealls, Goody's, Palais Royal, Peebles and Stage nameplates, offer moderately priced, nationally recognized brand name and private label apparel, accessories, cosmetics and footwear for the entire family. Its off-price stores, which are called Steele's, offer brand name family apparel, accessories, footwear and home merchandise at significant savings to department store prices. As of July 28, 2012, the Company operated 834 stores located in 40 states. The Company also has an eCommerce website.
Recent Accounting Standards	Recent Accounting Standards. In May 2011, the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB") issued Accounting Standards Update ("ASU") No. 2011-04, Amendments to Achieve Common Fair Value Measurement and Disclosure Requirements in U.S. GAAP and IFRSs, to improve the comparability of fair value measurements presented and disclosed in financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("U.S. GAAP") and International Financial Reporting Standards ("IFRS"). ASU 2011-04 clarifies existing fair value measurement and disclosure requirements, amends certain fair value measurement principles and requires additional disclosures about fair value measurements. For public companies, the amendments in ASU 2011-04 were effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The adoption of ASU 2011-04 did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial statements. In June 2011, the FASB issued ASU No. 2011-05, Presentation of Comprehensive Income, which eliminates the current option to present components of other comprehensive income as part of the statements of changes in stockholders' equity and requires entities to present comprehensive income in either a single continuous statement of comprehensive income or in two separate but consecutive statements. The amendments do not change the components of other comprehensive income. For public companies, the new disclosure requirements were effective for fiscal years and interim periods beginning after December 15, 2011. The Company adopted ASU 2011-05 on January 29, 2012 and has presented comprehensive income in a single continuous statement.

Disclosure of accounting policy for determining an entity's fiscal year or other fiscal period. This disclosure may include identification of the fiscal period end-date, the length of the fiscal period, any reporting period lag between the entity and its subsidiaries, or equity investees. If a reporting lag exists, the closing date of the entity having a different period end is generally noted, along with an explanation of the necessity for using different closing dates. Any intervening events that materially affect the entity's financial position or results of operations are generally also disclosed.

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