VCP Victoria Plc

RNS Number:0657N
Victoria PLC
01 February 2008

Issued by Citigate Dewe Rogerson Ltd, Birmingham
Date: Friday, 1 February 2008

                                                              IMMEDIATE RELEASE


                                  VICTORIA PLC
                       ("Victoria", "Group" or "Company)
                        Interim Management Statement and
                                 Trading Update


The Board is pleased to report that the Group has continued to make good
progress since issuing its half-year results for the six months ended 30
September 2007.

The Group is now confident that the result for the year ending 29 March 2008
will be significantly ahead of the forecasts currently in the market for the
Company.

INTERIM MANAGEMENT STATEMENT
Progress across the Group in the quarter ended 29 December 2007 is summarised
below:

AUSTRALIA
Our Australian operation has continued with the strong performance delivered in
the first half-year, with December being a particularly strong month. As a
result, revenues in local currency, were 17.9% higher in the quarter ended
December 2007 compared to the same period in 2006.

A strong product portfolio and healthy forward order book sees our Australian
division well placed as we move into the final quarter of our financial year.

UK
Despite the challenging conditions presented by the faltering UK economy and
housing market, Victoria Carpets enjoyed a solid performance in the run-up to
Christmas.

With new products introduced earlier in 2007 performing particularly well,
coupled with Victoria's strong customer associations, the UK business delivered
a good performance. This has resulted in revenues being ahead of the
corresponding period by 14.3%.

IRELAND
Our Irish operations enjoyed mixed fortunes in the quarter ended December 2007.

Residential sales from Navan Carpets benefited from the strong product offering
and the seasonal uplift normally expected. With revenues up 8.5% on the
corresponding period last year, this business has delivered a better than
expected result. Munster Carpets, our contract operation, however, failed to see
any of the previously anticipated uplift in the market.

Overall, in local currency, revenues from Ireland were 1.1% up on the same
quarter last year.

CANADA
Progress in Canada has been maintained with revenues in local currency up 8.6%
on the same quarter last year.

FOREIGN EXCHANGE
The relative weakness of Sterling in the third quarter has had a positive effect
on the consolidated profitability of the Group. The Group continues to maintain
a proportion of its borrowings in Australian dollars, which helps to act as a
natural hedge against movements in the exchange rate.

FINANCIAL POSITION
There has been no other significant change in the financial position of the
Group since the half-year results announced in November 2007, save for the
information contained in this Interim Management Statement.

TRADING UPDATE
Based on the Group's performance to date, the Board is confident that Victoria
will deliver a result significantly ahead of the current market forecasts for
the year ending 29 March 2008.

The outlook in Australia continues to look positive and the Company intends to
increase capacity to meet market demand for its products.

Conversely, the prospects in the UK may be impacted by the difficulties facing
the wider UK economy and consumer spending in particular. Similarly, in Ireland
the market conditions lack any clear visibility.

The Group does, however, feel that its strong products, high levels of service
and strength of management should enable it to weather market conditions during
the coming year.





Enquiries:
Alan Bullock, Group Managing Director
Ian Davies, Group Finance Director            Fiona Tooley, Director
Victoria PLC                                  Citigate Dewe Rogerson
Tel: +44 (0) 1562 749640                      Tel: +44 (0) 121 455 8370
www.victoria.plc.uk                           Mobile: +44 (0) 7785 703523



                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange

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