Virgin ware Opens a New Store in the UK



                  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).



            

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