Trading Statement

MFI Furniture Group PLC
14 November 2001

14 November 2001

MFI FURNITURE GROUP PLC

TRADING STATEMENT FOR 45 WEEKS TO 10 NOVEMBER 2001

MFI Furniture Group ('MFI'), the UK's leading kitchen and bedroom retailer,
announces that, for the 45 weeks to 10 November 2001, Group sales were £940m, a
total increase of 18.4% and like for like growth of 10.3% compared to the same
period last year.   The sales performance for each of MFI's businesses during
the 45 weeks was as follows:

                          Like for like increase       Total increase

  UK Retail                                 7.1%                12.1%
  Howdens                                  28.2%                54.0%
  France                                    0.5%                 9.8%
                                           _____                _____
  Group                                    10.3%                18.4%
                                           =====                =====

These figures are in line with expectation and represent an improvement in
performance since we last reported in July, when sales for the first 24 weeks
of the year were up by 15.1% compared to last year. Total like for like sales
for the same period were up by 7.5%.

Despite the uncertainty relating to the events of 11 September, sales have held
up well, although we continue to monitor the situation carefully.  The most
representative indicator of activity in our business is total orders and, for
the last 9 weeks, these were up 30% on the prior year, albeit against weak
comparatives resulting from the petrol shortages and serious flooding last
autumn.

Gross margin continues to be in line with expectation as we benefit from the
introduction of new ranges, offset by the increasing proportion of sales at
Howdens, our trade business, which have lower gross margins.

We are continuing to develop our new concept MFI stores, following the
successful pilot at Speke which opened in February.  The refurbished units are
performing well, with orders since conversion up more than 50% on the prior
year.  Given these encouraging order levels, we have accelerated our programme
of refurbishment and, by the year-end, we expect to have 35 stores (18 out of
town and 17 high street) in the new format. In addition we have introduced
bathroom products into 12 test stores. These are performing ahead of
expectation, and we intend to include this new product group as we rollout our
new concept stores.

Our high street stores are trading in line with plan.  By the end of the year
we will have 20 high street stores, with recent new openings including Bristol,
Reading and Kingston.  Hygena at Currys, where we now have 99 concessions,
continues to perform somewhat below expectation and will now be under our
target of breakeven for the year.  We are in the process of developing the in-
store product range, and making improvements to the staffing and marketing of
this business.

Consistent with our belief in the long-term growth potential of the £10bn UK
furniture market, we continue to look for opportunities in new market segments.
Last month we announced a partnership with Ethan Allen to open five pilot
stores under the Ethan Allen brand targeting the £1bn premium furniture market.

We are continuing to see a strong performance out of Howdens, and the chain now
numbers 218 depots.  Trading remains strong, with like for like sales 28%
higher than in the same period last year, and total sales ahead by 54%, driven
in part by the 46 new outlets opened since January.  We continue to work
towards our UK target of 300-350 depots by 2003, and are now evaluating
overseas opportunities for the business.

The strategic review of our French business, which we announced at our interim
results in July, is now complete.  The growing French furniture market
represents a significant opportunity for the Group, and we believe our existing
presence, with 122 stores, is a strong platform for future growth.
Implementation of the plan is anticipated to take three years and profitability
is expected to remain static in 2002, as stores are closed for refurbishment
and new shops, which are loss-making in their first year, are opened.

In summary, our performance continues to be satisfactory and we will be
reporting preliminary results for the 52 weeks to 29 December 2001 on 28
February 2002.


- ends -


Enquiries:

John Hancock, Chief Executive Officer   MFI Furniture Group Plc  020 8913 5350
Martin Clifford-King, Finance Director

Charlotte Elston / William Cullum       Brunswick                020 7404 5959

Note to editors:

MFI Furniture Group Plc is the UK's leading manufacturer and retailer of
kitchens and bedrooms.  It has some 188 out of town furniture centres, and 17
high street stores in the UK, plus some 122 shops in France.  Howdens is MFI's
fast growth trade-only operation with 218 outlets.  The Group employs some
10,700 people in all and had sales in the 52 weeks to 30 December 2000 of
£901m.

www.mfigroup.co.uk