Virgin ware Opens a New Store in the UK
ATHENS, Greece, July 20, 2004 (PRIMEZONE) -- Hatzioannou, the leading European group in second skin manufacturing and value for money retailing, announces that its 100% UK subsidiary Virgin ware opened a new store in the UK. The store was opened in Telford on July 17, 2004.
Virgin ware now operates in total 18 stores in England (please see table).
OPENING DATE STORES-LOCATION JULY 2002 FOUBERTS-LONDON APRIL 2003 READING AUGUST 2003 BULL RING-BIRMINGHAM AUGUST 2003 FIGLEAVES (Online Store) SEPTEMBER 2003 TRAFFORD-MANCHESTER OCTOBER 2003 BRAINTREE-ESSEX (Stock House) NOVEMBER 2003 CHESTER DECEMBER 2003 PETERBOROUGH DECEMBER 2003 HATFIELD (Stock House) DECEMBER 2003 CRAWLEY JANUARY 2004 YORK FEBRUARY 2004 BROMLEY MARCH 2004 GUILDFORD MARCH 2004 CROYDON MAY 2004 HORSHAM JULY 2004 COVENTRY JULY 2004 LEAMINGTON JULY 2004 TELFORD
The rights to the Virgin brand were bought in 2000 by Unique Commerce Ltd, which is a 100% owned subsidiary based in Manchester, UK. Unique Commerce owns the rights for commercial exploitation of the Virgin trademark globally and in perpetuity for products of inwear (men's, ladies, children's, underwear, swimwear, nightwear, hosiery and socks).
We are initially focussing exclusively on female underwear.
Virgin ware currently operates 18 of its own stores in the UK, with a further 5 under negotiation. The rollout programme is for 25-30 stores in the UK by the end of 2004.
Virgin ware is consolidated to the group for the first time in 2004.
Hatzioannou shares are listed on the Athens Stock Exchange (Reuters: HADr.AT), (Bloomberg: HATZK GA) and also traded on the Deutsche Borse.
This information is also available on Hatzioannou's website at: (www.hatzi.gr).