RNS Number:8115I
Woolworths Group PLC
17 March 2003



                  DEALINGS BY SUBSTANTIAL SHAREHOLDERS


1)   NAME OF COMPANY

     WOOLWORTHS GROUP PLC

2)   NAME OF SHAREHOLDER HAVING A MAJOR INTEREST

      BARCLAYS PLC

3)   Please state whether notification indicates that it is in respect of 
     holding of the Shareholder named in 2 above or in respect of a 
     non-beneficial interest or in the case of an individual holder if it is a
     holding of that person's spouse or children under the age of 18

      NOT STATED

4)   Name of the registered holder(s) and, if more than one holder, the 
     number of shares held by each of them.

      SEE SCHEDULE BELOW

5)   Number of shares/amount of stock acquired.

       43,084,874

6)   ( 3.06%) of issued Class

7)   Number of shares/amount of stock disposed

      N/A

8)   ( N/A %) of issued Class

9)   Class of security

      ORDINARY SHARES OF 12.5P EACH

10)  Date of transaction

      NOT STATED

11)  Date company informed

      17 MARCH 2003

12)  Total holding following this notification

      43,084,874
               
13)  Total percentage holding of issued class following this notification

      3.06%

14)  Any additional information



15)  Name of contact and telephone number for queries

      JONATHAN BLOOM - 0207 706 5033

16)  Name and signature of authorised company official responsible for 
     making this notification

     Date of Notification 17 MARCH 2003

                                  REGISTERED HOLDERS REPORT

WOOLWORTH GROUP                                                  SEDOL: 3073861

As at 10 March 2003 Barclays PLC, through the registered holders listed below,
had a notifiable interest in 43,084,874 ORD GBP0.125 representing 3.06% of the
issued share capital of 1,407,507,920 units.

Registered Holder                  Account Designation              Holding

ALMLUFTTL-18409-CHASE MANHATTA     ALMLUFTT                         811,427
ASTEXMTTL-21359-CHASE NOMINEES     ASTEXMTT                       2,572,483
ASUKEXTTL-20947-CHASE MANHATTA     ASUKEXTT                      14,427,220
Barclays Trust Co & Others                                           42,781
BARCLAYS TRUST CO AS EXEC/ADM                                           734
BLENTFUKQ-16344-CHASE MANHATTA     BLENTFUK                         183,863
BLEQFDUKQ-16331-CHASE MANHATTA     BLEOFDUK                         471,669
BLEQPTUKQ-16341-CHASE MANHATTA     BLEOPTUK                       1,328,458
BLUKINTTL-16400-CHASE MANHATTA     BLUKINTT                      15,760,262
CHASE MANHATTAN BANK               527191                         3,611,644
CHASE MANHATTAN BANK               536747                           630,370
CHATRKTTL-16376-CHASE MANHATTA     CHATRKTT                         703,301
Clydesdale Nominees HGB0125        00680213                           1,330
JPMORGAN CHASE BANK                540186                           223,721
JPMorgan Chase Bank                BTGF01IE                         119,755
JPMorgan Chase Bank                BTGF05IE                         257,211
Mitsubishi Trust International     BNN024IE                          14,281
Mitsubishi Trust International     BNN033IE                          19,444
NORTHERN TRUST BANK - BGI SEPA     581610                            43,983
NORTHERN TRUST BANK - BGI SEPA     584069                            51,882
State Street                       BNN032IE                          35,131
Sumitomo TB                        BNN029IE                          22,440
Sumitomo TB                        BNN036IE                          14,594
Swan Nominees Limited                                                 4,635
Swan Nominees Limited                                                 3,540
UBS Limited                        583996                         1,723,715
ZEBAN NOMINEES LIMITED                                                5,000

                                                 Total           43,084,874 



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

END

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