8-K

                                  UNITED STATES
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                       SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
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                             WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549


                                    FORM 8-K
                                    --------

                                 CURRENT REPORT
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                     Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d) of the
                         Securities Exchange Act of 1934


Date of Report  (Date of earliest event reported):     December 4, 2003
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                         ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
                         ----------------------------
            (Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)


Delaware                           1-10738                         13-3499319
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(State or Other Jurisdiction   (Commission File Number)     (I.R.S. Employer
of Incorporation)                                           Identification No.)


                              142 West 57th Street
                            New York, New York 10019
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  (Address, including Zip Code, of Registrant's Principal Executive Offices)


                                (212) 541-3300
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           (Registrant's Telephone Number, Including Area Code)


                                Not Applicable
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                 (Former Names or Former Addresses, if Changed
                               Since Last Report)
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ITEM 7.       FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND EXHIBITS.
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             (c)    Exhibits.

                    99.1      Press Release issued by AnnTaylor Stores
                              Corporation on December 4, 2003.


ITEM 9.       REGULATION FD DISCLOSURE.
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              AnnTaylor Stores Corporation issued a Press Release, dated
December 4, 2003. A copy of the Press Release is appended to this report
as Exhibit 99.1 and is incorporated herein by reference.


                            SIGNATURES
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             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.



                                     ANNTAYLOR STORES CORPORATION
                                     ----------------------------


                                     By:    /s/ Barbara K. Eisenberg
                                            ------------------------
                                            Barbara K. Eisenberg
Date:  December 4, 2003                     Senior Vice President,
                                            General Counsel and Secretary











                                     Page 2

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                                  EXHIBIT INDEX
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Exhibit No.                       Description
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99.1       Press Release issued by AnnTaylor Stores Corporation on December 4,
           2003.






































                                     Page 3

EX-99

                                                                Exhibit 99.1

                                    Ann Taylor
                                    News Release
                                    142 WEST 57TH  STREET  NEW YORK, N.Y. 10019


               ANN TAYLOR ANNOUNCES NOVEMBER 2003 SALES RESULTS
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                  AND RAISES FOURTH QUARTER EARNINGS GUIDANCE
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New York, New York, December 4, 2003 - AnnTaylor Stores Corporation (NYSE: ANN)
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announced today that total net sales for the four-week period ended November 29,

2003 increased 20.1 percent to $139,639,000 over total net sales of $116,238,000

for the four-week period ended November 30, 2002. By division, net sales were

$74,964,000 for Ann Taylor and $52,743,000 for Ann Taylor Loft.




Comparable store sales for the period increased 9.6 percent compared to a

comparable store sales decrease of 10.3 percent for the same four-week period

last year. By division, comparable store sales for fiscal November 2003 were up

7.3 percent for Ann Taylor compared to an 11.7 percent decrease last year, and

up 14.9 percent for Ann Taylor Loft compared to a 7.6 percent decrease last

year.




Ann Taylor Chairman J. Patrick Spainhour said, "We were very pleased with our

performance during November. Both divisions posted positive comparable store

sales gains, exceeding our same store sales expectations for the month. We look

forward to seeing this positive momentum continue through the remainder of the

holiday selling season.




"At Ann Taylor we were particularly pleased with selling in our dresses,

outerwear, and refined separates categories. Our winter color palate of pinks,

lavenders, frosted blues and greens helped ignite selling in our giftable

categories of sweaters and cold weather accessories."



Mr. Spainhour continued, "At Ann Taylor Loft we continue to surpass our

expectations. We experienced outstanding full price selling across all

categories, especially casual separates, tops, outerwear and fashion

accessories. All regions produced strong positive comparable sales performance.



"Based on stronger than expected sales performance and related merchandise gross

margins at both divisions, we are raising our fourth quarter earnings

expectations to the range of $0.43 - $0.45 from the range of $0.41 - $0.43. We

expect comparable store sales for December and January to be in the range of

positive 6 - 8 percent and positive 3 - 5 percent, respectively, for both

divisions."



Total inventory levels at the end of November, including inventory attributable

to Ann Taylor Global Sourcing, were down approximately 6 percent on a per square

foot basis compared to last year. By division, inventory levels on a per square

foot basis were up approximately 4 percent at Ann Taylor and down approximately

10 percent at Ann Taylor Loft.



During November, the Company opened two new Ann Taylor stores and 11 new Ann

Taylor Loft stores. The total store count at fiscal month end was 652, comprised

of 357 Ann Taylor stores, 268 Ann Taylor Loft stores, and 27 Ann Taylor Factory

stores. Total store square footage at the end of fiscal November increased 11

percent over last year.
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For the fiscal year-to-date period ended November 29, 2003, the Company's net

sales totaled $1,278,670,000, up 11.7 percent from $1,144,991,000 for the same

period in fiscal 2002. By division, net sales for the fiscal year-to-date period

were $699,405,000 for Ann Taylor, and $469,697,000 for Ann Taylor Loft.

Comparable store sales for the fiscal year-to-date period increased 2.5 percent

compared to a decrease of 1.6 percent for the same period last year. Comparable

sales by division for the fiscal year-to-date period were up 0.2 percent for Ann

Taylor compared to a 2.7 percent decrease last year, and up 6.6 percent for Ann

Taylor Loft compared to a 0.6 percent increase last year.



Ann Taylor is one of the country's leading women's specialty retailers,

operating 652 stores in 43 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico, and

also an Online Store at www.anntaylor.com.
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For more information, please call (866) 214-2661 to listen to Ann Taylor Stores

Corporation's monthly sales recording. No access code is required.


FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking statements, made
pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995. The forward-looking statements may use the words "expect",
"anticipate", "plan", "intend", "project", "believe" and similar expressions.
These forward-looking statements reflect the Company's current expectations
concerning future events, and actual results may differ materially from current
expectations or historical results. Any such forward-looking statements are
subject to various risks and uncertainties, including failure by the Company to
predict accurately client fashion preferences; decline in the demand for
merchandise offered by the Company; competitive influences; changes in levels of
store traffic or consumer spending habits; effectiveness of the Company's brand
awareness and marketing programs; general economic conditions or a downturn in
the retail industry; the inability of the Company to locate new store sites or
negotiate favorable lease terms for additional stores or for the expansion of
existing stores; lack of sufficient consumer interest in the Company's Online
Store; a significant change in the regulatory environment applicable to the
Company's business; an increase in the rate of import duties or export quotas
with respect to the Company's merchandise; financial or political instability in
any of the countries in which the Company's goods are manufactured; the
potential impact of health concerns relating to severe infectious diseases,
particularly on manufacturing operations of the Company's vendors in Asia and
elsewhere; acts of war or terrorism in the United States or worldwide; work
stoppages, slowdowns or strikes; and other factors set forth in the Company's
filings with the SEC. The Company does not assume any obligation to update or
revise any forward-looking statements at any time for any reason.

                                     o o o

       Contact:

       Barry Erdos
       Chief Operating Officer
       (212) 541-3318

       Doreen Riely
       Director of Investor Relations
       (212) 541-3484