Holding in Company

Great Universal Stores PLC
18 May 2001

On 17 May 2001 The Great Universal Stores P.L.C. received a notification dated
16 May 2001, in compliance with Part V1 of the Companies Act 1985, advising that
Barclays PLC, though its subsidiary Barclays Bank PLC, no longer has a
notifiable interest in the ordinary shares of 25p each in this Company.