Alexandria, VA (August 13, 2003) – Signaling
another milestone in the industry’s progression towards a Global Data
Synchronization Network (GDSN), Safeway has committed to participate in the
WorldWide Retail Exchange’s (WWRE) Interoperability Project to be completed
by year-end. In this project, the WWRE will act as both a source and recipient
data pool, allowing Safeway to synchronize data with manufacturers who publish
directly to the WWRE as their source data pool, as well as receive information
from UCCnet through WWRE’s direct connection with UCCnet’s GLOBALregistryÒ service.
Safeway, a founding member of the WWRE and one of North America’s largest
food and drug retailers, will be among the first participants in the project,
which will further demonstrate the value of an interoperable network and add
momentum to the industry’s push toward the adoption of global standards.
Safeway has announced its intention to subscribe to UCCnet for its global registry
service and to utilize the WWRE as it’s recipient data pool and single
point of access into the GDSN.
"The world’s leading retailers and manufacturers are reaching consensus
and recognizing that the industry is migrating quickly toward a seamless trading
environment," said David Ching, Chief Information Officer at Safeway. “The
vision we have shared with our fellow founders since the early days of WWRE
is coming to fruition."
“Inaccurate product information passed between trading partners not
only results in costly invoice discrepancies and deductions, but also time-to-shelf
delays, returned shipments and reduced sales force productivity,” said
Glenn DuBois, executive vice president and chief operating officer of UCCnet. “UCCnet’s
global registry service will ensure accuracy of product, location, and trading
partner information with participating retail customers. And together with
data pools like the WWRE, we can improve trading relationships between partners
and significantly reduce both supply-chain and selling costs.”
"
Achieving global data synchronization will speed international adoption and
lower costs across the entire supply chain," said Howard Befort, Senior
Vice President Supply Chain at Safeway. “It will bring a new level of
efficiency to Safeway, to our trading partners and the entire retail/CPG industry,
and will ultimately benefit the consumer."
“Safeway and other founding members have brought leadership and the
necessary push to achieve a common approach to managing item information on
a global basis,” said Cindy Cruzado, Director of WorldWide Item Management
(WIM) at the WWRE. “This approach has proven invaluable in the development
of our WIM solution at the Exchange and has made interoperability a reality
in 2003.”
WWRE members, such as Safeway, will access UCCnet’s global registry
via the WWRE’s WorldWide Item Management® solution, ensuring standardized,
consistent data throughout the supply chain.
About Safeway
Safeway Inc. is a Fortune 50 company and one of the largest food and drug retailers
in North America based on sales. The Company operates 1,695 stores in the United
States and western Canada, and had annual sales of $32.4 billion from continuing
operations in 2002. The Company's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange
under the symbol SWY.
About UCCnet
UCCnet enables the registration and publication of product information (such
as weight and dimensions) by providing a global repository for standardized
item, location and trading partner data. Suppliers provide item, location
and trading partner information to
the GLOBALregistry. UCCnet then checks the data for compliance to EAN•UCC
standards and validates the data with demand side partners, ensuring that all
trading partners are using identical, updated, EAN•UCC standards-compliant
data. UCCnet is a not-for-profit subsidiary of the Uniform Code Council, Inc.
Visit www.uccnet.org for more information.
About the WWRE
The WWRE is the premier Internet-based business-to-business exchange for retailers
and suppliers. Designed to facilitate and simplify trading between retailers,
suppliers, partners and distributors, the WWRE currently consists of 64 members
from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America with combined
sales of approximately U.S. $900 billion. To date, the WWRE has saved its
members over $1 billion through the use of its solutions. For more information,
visit the website at www.wwre.org or www.worldwideretailexchange.org.