Accounting Reference Date

Retail Stores PLC 30 November 2000 RETAIL STORES PLC SETTING OF ACCOUNTING REFERENCE DATE Retail Stores Plc ('Retail Stores' or the 'Company') announces that it is setting its accounting reference date as 31st March. The Company's principal asset is its wholly-owned subsidiary, Liberty Plc, which it acquired in July 2000. Due to the significant changes in the management and financial structure of Liberty since its acquisition by Retail Stores, the Company will not be releasing an interim statement for the 3 month period from acquisition to 30th September 2000. Retail Stores will prepare an interim statement for the period to 31st December 2000 and a trading update, which will cover trading by Liberty since its acquisition in July 2000, and the key Christmas and New Year sales periods respectively. The Company proposes to announce preliminary results for the 12 months from incorporation in April 2000 to 31st March 2001 during the second quarter of 2001. For further information, contact: Andrew Blurton, Retail Stores Plc. Tel: 020 7706 2121 Baron Phillips, Bankside Consultants. Tel: 020 7220 7477