ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Saturday, November 2, 1996             TAG: 9611040038
SECTION: BUSINESS                 PAGE: A-8  EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: MEGAN SCHNABEL

BELK COMPLETES PURCHASE OF LEGGETT

The purchase of the Leggett department store chain by North Carolina-based Belk was completed Friday, but a spokesman said the new owner has not decided whether to change the name or the merchandising focus of its new stores.

Belk of Virginia Inc. will operate the 37 Leggett stores in Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and North Carolina. John Belk of Charlotte, N.C., will serve as chairman and Thomas Belk, also of Charlotte, as president. David Stovall, formerly executive vice president and supervising partner of the Belk Brothers Co. group in Charlotte, will hold the same position in the new company.

Darryl Williams, a spokesman for Belk Store Services Inc. in Charlotte, said the stores will, for the time being, continue to operate under the Leggett name. No merchandising or staffing changes are planned right now, he said, although changes could come in the next weeks or months.

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