<PAGE>
<TABLE>
<CAPTION>
RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES
-------------------------- -----------------------------------------------------------
FISCAL QUARTER ENDED FISCAL YEAR ENDED
------------- ------------ -----------------------------------------------------------
4/29/2000 5/1/1999 1/29/2000 1/30/1999 1/31/1998 2/1/1997 2/3/1996
(dollars in thousands)
<S> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C> <C>
EARNINGS/(LOSS):
Income/(Loss) Before Extraordinary Charges
and Income Taxes $(16,523) $ (1,528) $ (6,541) $ (3,925) $ 4,692 $ 3,248 $(18,676)
FIXED CHARGES:
Interest expensed and capitalized 3,410 3,239 14,184 12,296 11,665 12,278 15,134
Amortized premiums, discounts and
capitalized expenses related to indebtedness 98 114 456 517 691 689 686
Estimate of the interest within rental
expense (capital leases included above) 1,063 860 4,675 2,585 1,614 1,657 1,747
Preference security dividend require
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
SUBTOTAL FIXED CHARGES 3,508 3,353 14,639 12,813 12,356 12,967 15,820
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
Amortization of capitalized interest (not
material)
Distributed income of equity investees
Share of pre-tax losses of equity investees
Capitalized interest (6) (102) (168) (291) (42) (78) (33)
Preference security dividend interest
Minority interest in pre-tax subsidiaries
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
SUBTOTAL EARNINGS/(LOSS) (13,021) 1,724 7,930 8,597 17,006 16,138 (2,889)
-------- -------- -------- -------- -------- -------- --------
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
RATIO OF EARNINGS/(LOSS) TO FIXED CHARGES (3.7122) 0.5140 0.5417 0.6710 1.3763 1.2445 (0.1826)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
</TABLE>