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WHL - Woolworths Holdings Limited - Trading update: 20 weeks to 13 November 2011 Woolworths Holdings Limited (Incorporated in the Republic of South Africa) Registration number 1929/001986/06 Share code: WHL ISIN: ZAE000063863 ("the Group") TRADING UPDATE: 20 WEEKS TO 13 NOVEMBER 2011 Group sales for the first 20 weeks of the 2012 financial year increased by 10.3% over the comparable period in 2011. Sales in comparable stores grew by 7%. Clothing sales in South Africa grew by 9.5% with a price movement of 6.6%. Sales in comparable stores grew by 5.9%. Food sales grew by 10.8% with a lower than expected price movement of 3.5%. Sales in comparable stores grew by 7.2%. General merchandise, which remains impacted by the reduction of the cellular handset business grew by 3.4% and by 2.5% in comparable stores. South African retail space, excluding franchise conversions, grew by 2.5%. Franchise store conversions are on track with 50 stores now converted. A further 8 will be converted during the balance of the year and 17 stores will remain franchised. Converted franchise stores are treated as non-comparable. Sales in Australia (A$) contracted by 0.8% with sales in comparable stores declining by 4.5%. Space in Australia grew by 4.9%. Country Road`s South African sales are included in the South African clothing segment. The Woolworths Financial Services debtors` book reflected year on year growth of 3.9% at the end of October 2011. The impairment rate for the four months to October 2011 was 1.74% compared with 2.70% for the equivalent period last year. The external auditors have not reviewed and reported on the information provided in this update and it does not constitute an earnings forecast. The Group`s interim results for the 26 week period to 25 December 2011 are scheduled to be announced on or about the 16 February 2012. Contact: Ian Moir (Group chief executive officer) on 021 407 2809 Norman Thomson (Group finance director) on 021 407 3337 Cape Town 17 November 2011 Sponsor RAND MERCHANT BANK (A division of FirstRand Bank Limited) Date: 17/11/2011 09:30:01 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.
