<ARTICLE>                     5
<LEGEND>
This  schedule   contains   summary   financial   information   extracted   from
Heilig-Meyers  Company's Consolidated  Statements of Operations and Consolidated
Balance Sheets and is qualified in its entirety by reference to such financial
statements.
</LEGEND>
<MULTIPLIER>                  1,000

                                                                                
<PERIOD-TYPE>                                    YEAR                YEAR                YEAR
<FISCAL-YEAR-END>                                FEB-29-2000         FEB-28-1999         FEB-28-1998
<PERIOD-END>                                     FEB-29-2000         FEB-28-1999         FEB-28-1998
<CASH>                                                 15073               67254               48779
<SECURITIES>                                          165873<F1>          190970<F1>          182158<F1>
<RECEIVABLES>                                         170275              297027              453071
<ALLOWANCES>                                           27143               42745               60306
<INVENTORY>                                           336690              493463              542868
<CURRENT-ASSETS>                                      903477             1130274             1293548
<PP&E>                                                474703              605958              571477
<DEPRECIATION>                                        184451              205272              173326
<TOTAL-ASSETS>                                       1457685             1947752             2097513
<CURRENT-LIABILITIES>                                 340668              749941              702151
<BONDS>                                               535982              547344              715271
<PREFERRED-MANDATORY>                                      0                   0                   0
<PREFERRED>                                                0                   0                   0
<COMMON>                                              121354              119722              117616
<OTHER-SE>                                            413394              485380              491538
<TOTAL-LIABILITY-AND-EQUITY>                         1457685             1947752             2097513
<SALES>                                              2038143             2431152             2160223
<TOTAL-REVENUES>                                     2297652             2726358             2469736
<CGS>                                                1346503             1637901             1451560
<TOTAL-COSTS>                                        1346503             1637901             1451560
<OTHER-EXPENSES>                                           0                   0                   0
<LOSS-PROVISION>                                       99283              107916              181645
<INTEREST-EXPENSE>                                     62997               75676               67283
<INCOME-PRETAX>                                       (36359)              (3048)             (84387)
<INCOME-TAX>                                           22284               (1081)             (29244)
<INCOME-CONTINUING>                                   (58643)              (1967)             (55143)
<DISCONTINUED>                                             0                   0                   0
<EXTRAORDINARY>                                            0                   0                   0
<CHANGES>                                                  0                   0                   0
<NET-INCOME>                                          (58643)              (1967)             (55143)
<EPS-BASIC>                                          (0.97)<F2>          (0.03)<F2>          (0.98)<F2>
<EPS-DILUTED>                                          (0.97)              (0.03)              (0.98)
<FN>
<F1> Represents  retained  interests in securitized  receivables
<F2> Represents basic earnings per share
</FN>