Havertys Reports Sales for May

ATLANTA, June 4 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- HAVERTY FURNITURE COMPANIES, INC. (NYSE: HVT; HVT.A) today reported sales for the month ended May 31, 2008.

Havertys' May sales decreased 3.9% to $61.6 million, compared with $64.1 million in May 2007. On a comparable-store basis, May sales decreased 6.3%. Comparable-store sales do not include stores or locations opened, closed or otherwise non-comparable during the last 12 months. Sales for the first five months of 2008 decreased 2.6% to $300.8 million compared with $308.7 million in 2007. On a comparable-store basis, sales decreased 5.7% for the first five months.

Sales in Millions
(unaudited) Total Comparable- Sales Store Sales
2008 2007 % Change % Change

May $61.6 $64.1 - 3.9% - 6.3%
Q-2 to Date $115.5 $117.7 - 1.8% - 4.7%
Five Months $300.8 $308.7 - 2.6% - 5.7%

Clarence H. Smith, president and chief executive officer, said, "With the exception of the Memorial Day weekend, our written business was weaker than expected for most of the month and was down 13% in total compared to May of last year."

"Last year's June delivered sales are a more difficult comparison than were April or May. Based on this difference and given the current tenor of business, we currently expect that our total delivered sales for the full second quarter will be down by a high single digit percentage compared to last year's quarter," Smith concluded.

Havertys is a full-service home furnishings retailer with 124 showrooms in 17 states in the Southern and Midwestern regions providing its customers with a wide selection of quality merchandise in middle- to upper-middle price ranges. Additional information is available on the Company's website at www.havertys.com .

News releases include forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Factors that might cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, general economic conditions, the consumer spending environment for large ticket items, competition in the retail furniture industry and other uncertainties detailed from time to time in the Company's reports filed with the SEC.

Contact for information:
Dennis L. Fink, EVP & CFO or
Jenny Hill Parker, VP, Secretary & Treasurer
(404) 443-2900

First Call Analyst:
FCMN Contact:

Source: Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc.

CONTACT: Dennis L. Fink, EVP & CFO, or Jenny Hill Parker, VP, Secretary
& Treasurer, both of Haverty Furniture Companies, Inc., +1-404-443-2900

Web site: http://www.havertys.com/

2008-06-04 07:10:30 0376931 PRNEWSWIRE