Sharenet Sites 
Sharenet Sites
WHL - Woolworths Holdings Limited - Trading update and trading statement WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa) (Registration number 1929/001986/06) Share code: WHL ISIN: ZAE000063863 ("Woolworths" or "the Group") TRADING UPDATE AND TRADING STATEMENT TRADING UPDATE Woolworths Holdings group sales increased by 8.1% for the 20 weeks ended 15 November 2009, with a growth of 3.8% in comparable stores. The improvement in sales experienced in the fourth quarter of our last financial year, has continued into the new financial year. Sales growth Comparable Price Growth in stores movement space sales growth
Woolworths SA Retail: 8.3% 4.5% - Clothing and 7.9% 5.0% 9.2% 4.8% general merchandise - Food 8.9% 4.4% 6.7% 6.8% Country Road A$ 12.7% 3.6% 12.5% Country Road (Rand) 6.1% -2.5% Group 8.1% 3.8% The increase in the price movement of clothing and general merchandise has been driven by the higher exchange rates incurred at the time the current summer season was procured. Price movement in our foods business has shown a steady decline to a current rate of 6.7%. The Woolworths Financial Services book has grown 3.9% year on year, at the end of October 2009. The impairment rate for the four months ending October is 8.2%. We are expecting impairments to continue deteriorating over the next six months before improving considerably. Economic conditions remain tough and are expected to remain as such for the remaining of the 2010 financial year. There does appear to be some improvement in confidence in the higher income customer. We will continue to focus on managing costs and controlling stock during the period. TRADING STATEMENT The directors of Woolworths refer to the trading statement published on 26 August 2009. A comparison of the results for the six months ending December 2009 to the corresponding reporting period of last year will be affected by the profit of R380m earned on the disposal of a 50% plus one share of Woolworths financial services to ABSA Group Limited on 1 October 2008. Consequently, earnings per share ("EPS") will be more than 20% lower than the corresponding reporting period of the previous year. Due to the significance of the peak retail trading season, it is not possible to quantify the impact on EPS within the 20% range required by the JSE Limited ("JSE") Listings Requirements with a reasonable degree of certainty or to provide guidance on headline earnings per share ("HEPS"). A further trading statement will be issued later in the reporting period and provide earnings forecast ranges for EPS and HEPS as required by the JSE Listings Requirements. Shareholders are advised that the financial information contained in this announcement has neither been reviewed or reported on by the external auditors, and that the Group`s interim results for the six months ending 31 December 2009 are scheduled to be announced on SENS on or about 18 February 2010. Contact: Simon Susman (Chief executive officer) on 021 407 2700 Norman Thomson (Finance director) on 021 407 3337 Cherrie Lowe (Group secretary) on 021 407 3160 Cape Town 19 November 2009 Sponsor RAND MERCHANT BANK (A division of FirstRand Bank Limited) Date: 19/11/2009 15:55:01 Supplied by www.sharenet.co.za Produced by the JSE SENS Department. The SENS service is an information dissemination service administered by the JSE Limited (`JSE`). The JSE does not, whether expressly, tacitly or implicitly, represent, warrant or in any way guarantee the truth, accuracy or completeness of the information published on SENS. The JSE, their officers, employees and agents accept no liability for (or in respect of) any direct, indirect, incidental or consequential loss or damage of any kind or nature, howsoever arising, from the use of SENS or the use of, or reliance on, information disseminated through SENS.
