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EXHIBIT 10.10

THIRD AMENDMENT TO CREDIT AGREEMENT

This Third Amendment to Credit Agreement (the “Third Amendment”) is made as of
this 31st day of December, 2005 by and among

SPECIALTY RETAILERS (TX) LP (f/k/a SRI 2005 (TX) LP), a Texas limited
partnership, having its principal place of business at 10201 Main Street,
Houston, Texas 77025 (the “Borrower”); and

STAGE STORES, INC., a Nevada corporation, having its principal place of business
at 10201 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77025; and

SPECIALTY RETAILERS, INC., a Texas corporation, having its principal place of
business at 10201 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77025; and

SRI GENERAL PARTNER LLC, a Nevada limited liability company, having its
principal place of business at 10201 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77025; and

SRI LIMITED PARTNER LLC (f/k/a SRI 2005 LLC), a Nevada limited liability
company, having its principal place of business at 10201 Main Street, Houston,
Texas 77025; and

the LENDERS party hereto; and

BANK OF AMERICA, N.A. (f/k/a Fleet National Bank), as Issuing Bank, a national
banking association having a place of business at 100 Federal Street, Boston,
Massachusetts 02110; and

FLEET RETAIL GROUP, LLC (f/k/a Fleet Retail Group, Inc. and Fleet Retail Finance
Inc.), as Administrative Agent and as Collateral Agent for the Lenders, a
Delaware limited liability company, having its principal place of business at 40
Broad Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02109; and

THE CIT GROUP/BUSINESS CREDIT, INC., GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION, AND
NATIONAL CITY BUSINESS CREDIT, INC., as Co-Documentation Agents; and

WELLS FARGO FOOTHILL, LLC, as Syndication Agent,

in consideration of the mutual covenants herein contained and benefits to be
derived herefrom.

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W I T N E S S E T H:

WHEREAS, on August 21, 2003, certain of the parties hereto, among others,
entered into that certain Credit Agreement, as amended by that certain Limited
Waiver and First Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of November 4, 2003 and
that certain Second Amendment to Credit Agreement dated as of December 31, 2004
(as amended and in effect, the “Credit Agreement”); and

WHEREAS, pursuant to that certain Joinder to Credit Agreement dated as of
January 30, 2004, Specialty Retailers (TX) LP (f/k/a SRI 2004 (TX) LP) joined
the Credit Agreement as the Borrower thereunder, and SRI Limited Partner LLC
(f/k/a SRI 2004 LLC) joined the Credit Agreement as a Facility Guarantor
thereunder; and

WHEREAS, pursuant to that certain Joinder to Credit Agreement dated as of
December 31, 2004, Specialty Retailers (TX) LP (f/k/a SRI 2005 (TX) LP) joined
the Credit Agreement as the Borrower thereunder, and SRI Limited Partner LLC
(f/k/a SRI 2005 LLC) joined the Credit Agreement as a Facility Guarantor
thereunder; and

WHEREAS, the Loan Parties have requested that the Agent and the Lenders modify
certain of the provisions of the Credit Agreement to provide for the Agent’s and
the Lenders’ consent to a proposed corporate restructuring as set forth herein.

NOW, THEREFORE, it is hereby agreed as follows:

1.
Capitalized Terms.  All capitalized terms used herein and not otherwise defined
shall have the same meaning herein as in the Credit Agreement.

2.
Amendments to Article I.  The provisions of Article I of the Credit Agreement
are hereby amended by adding the following new definition in appropriate
alphabetical order as follows:

“2006 Corporate Restructuring” shall mean the transactions described on Schedule
A hereto.

3.
Amendment to Article VI.  The provisions of Section 6.03(c) of the Credit
Agreement are hereby amended by adding the words “and 2006 Corporate
Restructuring” after the words “the 2005 Corporate Restructuring” in the second
line thereof.

4.
Ratification of Loan Documents.  Except as provided herein, all terms and
conditions of the Credit Agreement and of the other Loan Documents remain in
full force and effect. The Loan Parties each hereby ratify, confirm, and
reaffirm all of the representations and warranties contained therein.

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5.
Conditions to Effectiveness.  This Third Amendment shall not be effective until
each of the following conditions precedent have been fulfilled to the
satisfaction of the Administrative Agent:

 
(a)
This Third Amendment shall have been duly executed and delivered by the
respective parties hereto and, shall be in full force and effect and shall be in
form and substance satisfactory to the Administrative Agent and the Required
Lenders.

 
(b)
All limited liability company, limited partnership, corporate and shareholder
action on the part of the Loan Parties necessary for the valid execution,
delivery and performance by the Loan Parties of this Third Amendment shall have
been duly and effectively taken and evidence thereof satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent shall have been provided to the Administrative Agent.

 
(c)
All documents and other instruments necessary to evidence the 2006 Corporate
Restructuring shall have been duly executed and delivered by the respective
parties thereto and shall be in full force and effect and shall be in form and
substance as set forth on Schedule A or in such other manner satisfactory to the
Administrative Agent.

 
(d)
The Agent shall have received a favorable legal opinion of the Borrower’s and
Facility Guarantors’ counsel addressed to the Agent and the other Secured
Parties, in form and substance satisfactory to the Agent.

 
(e)
No Default or Event of Default shall have occurred and be continuing.

 
(f)
The Borrower and Facility Guarantors shall have executed such additional
instruments, documents and agreements as the Administrative Agent may reasonably
request.

6.
Miscellaneous.

 
(a)
This Third Amendment may be executed in several counterparts and by each party
on a separate counterpart, each of which when so executed and delivered shall be
an original, and all of which together shall constitute one instrument.

 
(b)
This Third Amendment expresses the entire understanding of the parties with
respect to the transactions contemplated hereby. No prior negotiations or
discussions shall limit, modify, or otherwise affect the provisions hereof.

 
(c)
Any determination that any provision of this Third Amendment or any application
hereof is invalid, illegal or unenforceable in any respect and in any instance
shall not effect the validity, legality, or enforceability of such provision in
any other instance, or the validity, legality or enforceability of any other
provisions of this Third Amendment.

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(d)
The Loan Parties shall pay all costs and expenses of the Agent, including,
without limitation, reasonable attorneys’ fees in connection with the
preparation, negotiation, execution and delivery of this Third Amendment.

 
(e)
The Loan Parties warrant and represent that the Loan Parties have consulted with
independent legal counsel of their selection in connection with this Third
Amendment and is not relying on any representations or warranties of the Agents
or the Lenders or their counsel in entering into this Third Amendment.

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IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the parties have hereunto caused this Third Amendment to be
executed and their seals to be hereto affixed as of the date first above
written.

 
SPECIALTY RETAILERS (TX) LP (f/k/a SRI 2005 (TX) LP),
   
as Borrower
             
By:
 
SRI General Partner LLC, its General Partner
             
By:
/s/ Richard E. Stasyszen
   
Name: 
Richard E. Stasyszen
   
Title: 
Manager
                       
STAGE STORES, INC., as Facility Guarantor
                       
By:  
/s/ Richard E. Stasyszen
   
Name: 
Richard E. Stasyszen
   
Title: 
Senior Vice President, Finance and Controller
                       
SPECIALTY RETAILERS, INC., as Facility Guarantor
                       
By:
/s/ Richard E. Stasyszen
   
Name: 
Richard E. Stasyszen
   
Title: 
Senior Vice President and Controller
                       
SRI GENERAL PARTNER LLC , as Facility Guarantor
                       
By:
/s/ Richard E. Stasyszen
   
Name: 
Richard E. Stasyszen
   
Title: 
Manager
 

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SRI LIMITED PARTNER LLC, (f/k/a SRI 2005 LLC), as Facility Guarantor
                       
By: 
/s/ Philip B. Sears
   
Name: 
Philip B. Sears
   
Title: 
Manager
 

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FLEET RETAIL GROUP, LLC (f/k/a Fleet Retail Finance Inc.),
   
As Administrative Agent, as Collateral Agent, as Swingline Lender and as Lender
             
By: 
/s/ Daniel T. Platt
   
Name: 
Daniel T. Platt
   
Title: 
Managing Director
                                 
BANK OF AMERICA, N.A.,
   
as Issuing Bank
                       
By: 
/s/ Daniel T. Platt
   
Name: 
Daniel T. Platt
   
Title: 
Managing Director
 

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WELLS FARGO FOOTHILL, LLC,
   
As Syndication Agent and as Lender
                       
By: 
/s/ Yelena Kravchuh
   
Name: 
Yelena Kravchuh
   
Title: 
Assistant Vice President
 

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THE CIT GROUP/BUSINESS CREDIT, INC., As Co-Documentation Agent and as Lender
                       
By: 
/s/ Kim Nguyen
   
Name: 
Kim Nguyen
   
Title: 
Assistant Vice President
 

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GENERAL ELECTRIC CAPITAL CORPORATION,
   
As Co-Documentation Agent and as Lender
             
By: 
/s/ Brian P. Schwinn
   
Name: 
Brian P. Schwinn
   
Title: 
Duly Authorized Signatory
 

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NATIONAL CITY BUSINESS CREDIT, INC. (f/k/a National City Commercial Finance,
Inc.),
   
As Co-Documentation Agent and as Lender
                       
By: 
/s/ Kathryn Ellero
 
 
Name: 
Kathryn Ellero
   
Title: 
Vice President
 

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GMAC COMMERCIAL FINANCE LLC,
   
As Lender
             
By: 
/s/ Michael Malcangi
   
Name: 
Michael Malcangi
   
Title: 
Vice President
 

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WEBSTER BUSINESS CREDIT CORP., (f/k/a Whitehall Business Credit Corporation),
   
As Co-Documentation Agent and as Lender
                       
By: 
/s/ Andrew D. Wierman
   
Name: 
Andrew D. Wierman
   
Title: 
Vice President
 

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Schedule A

Stage Stores, Inc.

2006 Corporate Restructuring

The Corporate Restructuring will be completed pursuant to the following actions,
which will be completed by December 31, 2005:

1.    SRI Limited Partner LLC will form a wholly owned subsidiary in Nevada
named “SRI 2006 LLC” with the same regulations, ownership structure and manager
that SRI Limited Partner LLC presently has.

2.    SRI Limited Partner LLC will merge into SRI 2006 LLC with SRI 2006 LLC
being the surviving entity. SRI 2006 LLC will change its name to SRI Limited
Partner LLC.

3.    After the restructuring the names of the entities, their jurisdictions of
organization, and their ownership will be as they were before the restructuring
as follows:
 
Name
Organization
Ownership
Specialty Retailers, Inc.
Texas
Stage Stores, Inc.
Specialty Retailers (TX) LP
Texas
SRI General Partner LLC
(1% General Partner)
SRI Limited Partner LLC (f/k/a SRI 2006 LLC)
(99% Limited Partner)
SRI General Partner LLC
Nevada
Specialty Retailers, Inc.
SRI Limited Partner LLC (f/k/a
SRI 2006 LLC)
Nevada
Specialty Retailers, Inc.

 

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