Three Leading Retailers Adopt ACNielsen's Category Business Planner To Streamline Category Management.

Business Editors

LOS ANGELES--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 22, 2002

Rite Aid, Shaw's and Snyder/Drug Emporium Sign On For

Industry-Leading Category Management Intelligence System

ACNielsen U.S., an operating unit of ACNielsen, a VNU company, today announced that its Web-based category management intelligence system, Category Business Planner (CBP), has been adopted by three additional leading retailers: Rite Aid, Shaw's Supermarkets, and Snyder/Drug Emporium. CBP is now used by 19 retailers representing 29 retail banners. The news was announced here during Category Masters, ACNielsen's annual client conference attended by over 500 executives from the consumer packaged goods industry.

Jim Mastrian, Rite Aid senior executive vice president, Marketing and Logistics, said, "We expect that Category Business Planner will significantly streamline our category management process. With this tool, our manufacturer partners can work from the same information we use, which will enable us to make faster and better decisions when we get together to work on category plans. We are very excited about implementing Category Business Planner."

Brian Pijanowski, Shaw's senior vice president, Buying & Merchandising, said, "By using our custom category definitions, Category Business Planner gives us and our vendor partners the ability to deliver category management insights and business solutions that are seamlessly aligned with our internal information. This will bring new levels of productivity and efficiency to our joint category management work."

Accessed through the ACNielsen Answers Internet portal, CBP enables greater collaboration between manufacturers and retailers in the category planning process in two important ways: First, by defining product categories according to each retailer's criteria, thereby putting manufacturers and retailers on the same page when meeting to discuss category business plans; and second, by providing time-saving instant analysis of product sales information via user-friendly "news headlines," from which clients can easily drill down for more detailed information.

Dan Sacco, ACNielsen senior vice president, Retail Services and Business Development, welcomed the new CBP retailers. "I couldn't be more pleased with the momentum that continues to build around Category Business Planner. Clearly, the marketplace has been looking for the category management efficiencies uniquely provided by CBP."

Rite Aid, one of the nation's leading drug chains, operates approximately 3,500 stores in 28 states and the District of Columbia. Shaw's Supermarkets, owned by J Sainsbury, plc, operates 186 supermarkets in six New England states under the Shaw's and Star Market banners. There are over 160 Snyders and Drug Emporium stores in seven states.

Other retailers utilizing Category Business Planner include Meijer, SUPERVALU, Walgreens, Hannaford Bros., CVS, Eckerd, Longs Drug Stores, Winn-Dixie, Ahold USA, H-E-B, Giant Eagle, Target, Raley's, and Big Y.

ACNielsen, a VNU company, is the world's leading marketing information company. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the company provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen's market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns.

Note to Editors: Look for this press release and other ACNielsen news on the Internet at http://acnielsen.com. More information about Category Business Planner can be found at www.acnielsen.com/cbp.