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WHL - Woolworths Holdings - Trading Update For The 26 Weeks To December 2009 And Trading Statement WOOLWORTHS HOLDINGS LIMITED (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa) (Registration number 1929/001986/06) Share code: WHL ISIN: ZAE000063863 ("Woolworths Holdings" or "the Company") TRADING UPDATE FOR THE 26 WEEKS TO DECEMBER 2009 AND TRADING STATEMENT TRADING UPDATE Woolworths Holdings group sales increased by 9.3% for the 26 weeks to December 2009 ("the period") compared to the same period in the previous year. Comparable store sales growth for the period was 4.4%. Sales growth Comparable Price Growth in 26 weeks to stores sales movement space December growth 2009
SA Retail 9.1% 4.9% Woolworths 9.7% 6.2% 11.8% 7.1% - Clothing and general merchandise Woolworths 8.9% 4.7% 6.3% 6.1% - Food Country Road AU$ 12.6% 4.7% 11.3% Group 9.3% 4.4% The Woolworths Financial Services ("WFS") debtors books have grown 1.2% year on year at the end of December 2009. The impairment rate for the period is 6.2% (2008: 7.0%). TRADING STATEMENT As outlined in the trading statement released on SENS on 19 November 2009, the group anticipated that earnings per share ("EPS") for the period would be more than 20% lower than the corresponding reporting period, primarily due to the profit of R380m earned on the disposal of a 50% plus one share interest of WFS to ABSA Group Limited in that period. We now confirm that EPS for the period will be between 15% and 25% lower than last year. We also estimate that headline earnings per share ("HEPS") for the period will be between 35% and 45% higher than the corresponding reporting period of the previous year. HEPS has benefited from a reduced cost of sales due to the impact of the FEC`s marked to market at June 2009. In addition, the prior year was negatively impacted by a R75m STC charge on the special dividend paid in December 2008. Shareholders are advised that the trading and financial information contained in this announcement has not been reviewed or reported on by the external auditors. The group`s results for the period are scheduled to be released on SENS on18 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 20 January 2010 Sponsor RAND MERCHANT BANK (A division of FirstRand Bank Limited) Date: 20/01/2010 12:12:02 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.
