Primark Store Acquisitions

Associated British Foods PLC
14 February 2005

                      Associated British Foods plc ('ABF')

                     Further store acquisitions for Primark


For immediate release            14 February 2005



Associated British Foods plc, the international food, ingredients and retail
group, has today announced the acquisition of six stores by Primark, its value
fashion retail business.  Agreement has been reached with the administrators of
the Allders group for stores located in Bromley, Coventry, Oxford, Leicester,
Sheffield (Meadowhall) and Hull.  The consideration will be paid in cash from
existing resources at completion.  Completion is subject to the receipt of
landlord consent, where required.  Primark expects to take possession of the
stores by the end of March and to be trading by the autumn of this year.

Primark currently trades from 121 stores with 2.4 million sq ft of selling space
with 1.6 million sq ft in Great Britain and 0.8 million sq ft in Ireland.  These
new stores will initially add around 300,000 sq ft in Great Britain.  The store
in Bromley is freehold, Coventry is long leasehold and the remainder are short
leasehold.  The total investment, including the fitting out, is expected to be
£110m.

Primark has experienced strong sales growth in recent years from both
like-for-like growth and from new store openings which have focused more
recently upon larger sites in major high street locations.



Commenting on the announcement, ABF Finance Director, John Bason said,



'The acquisition of these six stores in major towns and cities represents
another step in Primark's acquisition of retail space in Great Britain and will
bring the Primark offering to a large number of new customers.'



For further information please contact:



Associated British Foods                              Tel: [phone]
John Bason, Finance Director

Citigate Dewe Rogerson                                Tel: [phone]
Jonathan Clare / Chris Barrie / Sara Batchelor




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