PR Newswire/Les Echos/
 
                                                                 PRESS RELEASE

                              Half year 2008 sales: €53.8m



Paris, 30th July 2008:

Groupe VIAL (ISIN: FR0010340406), France's leading independent industrial joinery discount group,
today announces its consolidated sales for the 2nd quarter 2008 and the 1st half 2008 ending the 30th
June.


     In € millions
                                                                          2007
                                                            2008                            ? (%)
     IFRS
     1st quarter                                                             24.8
                                                              25.6                         +3.3%

     2nd quarter                                                             30.3
                                                              28.2                         (7.0%)

                                                                             55.1
     Total                                                    53.8                         (2.4%)

Consolidated sales for the second quarter of 2008 came to €28.2 million, down 7%.
On a like-for-like basis (excluding stores open for less than 12 months, i.e. only stores opened before
1 April 2007), sales fell by 11.6%. Difficult economic conditions  particularly in new build properties 
as well as disruptions to production and logistics relating to the implementation of Enterprise Resource
Planning (ERP) dented sales in the second quarter of the year.

Total sales for the first half of the year came to €53.8 million, down just 2.4%. On a like-for-like basis
(excluding stores open for less than 12 months), sales fell by 9.5%.

Four new stores were opened in the second quarter of 2008, extending the group's coverage of
France to include Grenoble, Rouen, Laval and Blois. At 30 June 2008, Groupe Vial's distribution
network consisted of 71 open stores and seven for which an agreement has been signed and due to
open in the second half of 2008. The breakdown of the network is as follows:
     France: 66 stores = 61 open stores + 5 agreements signed
     Spain: 5 stores = 3 open stores + 2 agreements signed


In accordance with the schedule presented at the end of 2007, significant progress has been made in
the implementation of the new IT system (ERP), which should be fully operational in the first quarter of
2009. The part relating to production management is more or less operational, which should improve
the Group's business performance in the second half of the year.
In addition, the new catalogue focusing on the renovation market, which was launched at the end of
the second quarter, should help to boost sales over the next few months.




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                                           Next press release:
                  Half-year 2008 results: 29th October 2008 (after the market closes)




About Groupe VIAL (www.groupe-vial.com)

Listed on the Eurolist (Compartment B) of Euronext Paris since December 2006, Groupe VIAL manufactures and
distributes aluminium, PVC and wood joinery products (doors, windows, gates, stairs, etc.) offering unparalleled
value for money through tight control of supply lines; efficient, modern production facilities and the 60-store VIAL
Menuiseries distribution network (including 3 stores in Spain).
Groupe VIAL is France's largest independent discount joinery specialist.
The Group reported 2007 consolidated sales of €107.3m (+22.2%), an operating margin of 20.2% and net profit of
€12.7m.

Public site: www.vial-menuiseries.com




                            Listed on Euronext Paris compartment B of NYSE Euronext
                                        ISIN: FR0010340406 - Mnemonic: VIA
                                      Reuters: VIA.PA - Bloomberg: VIA FP




Contacts

                                                                 NewCap.
Groupe VIAL
Jean-François Buigues                                            Financial Communications  Investor Relations
Chief Financial Officer                                          Steve Grobet / Pierre Laurent
investisseurs@groupe-vial.com                                    Tel: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 94
                                                                 Fax: +33 (0)1 44 71 94 90
                                                                 vial@newcap.fr




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