ALEXANDRIA, Va. (July 24, 2001) - The WorldWide Retail Exchange (WWRE), the premier business-to-business exchange for retailers and suppliers, today announced the addition of Hy-Vee Inc. to its membership base. Hy-Vee, one of the nation's 15 largest supermarket companies, is the first new member to join the WWRE since the Exchange began its second phase of member recruitment.

"Hy-Vee's membership adds significant scale and reach to our already global membership base," said Colin Dyer, CEO of the WWRE. "And its membership also serves as validation that our business model is working - we are making significant progress and are succeeding in developing products and services that meet the needs of our membership base - and that attract new members as well. "

The WWRE entered the online marketplace in March 2000 and built its membership to 53 companies over a seven-month period. Since its inception, the organization has been deliberately focused on developing its core product and service offering. To date, the WWRE has brought four new products to life, including version two of its Auction product, which has already saved current members over $80 million in cost of goods, and its CPFRÒ solution, which is in a controlled launch to 11 of the Exchange's retail members.

"Hy-Vee is excited to be part of an organization that is dedicated to improving trading partner relationships throughout the supply chain," said Ron Pearson, chief executive officer, president and chairman of the board of Hy-Vee. "The WorldWide Retail Exchange is using the latest technology to develop supply chain solutions that take costs out of the distribution system and improve efficiencies. It's another tool we can use in our ongoing effort to find and deliver the best products at the best prices for our customers."

About Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee (U.S.) is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 200 retail stores in seven Midwestern states. The company employs more than 45,000 and generates annual sales in excess of $3.6 billion (Euro 4.25 billion).

About the WWRE
The WWRE is the premier Internet-based business-to-business exchange in the retail e-marketplace. The Exchange was created with the fundamental purpose of reducing costs and improving efficiencies throughout the supply chain, employing product and service solutions typical of a global procurement and supply operation. Designed to facilitate and simplify trading between retailers, suppliers, partners and distributors, the WWRE currently consists of 54 leading retailers from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America with combined sales totaling over U.S. $800 billion. To date, the WWRE has saved its members over $80,000,000 through the use of Auctions, its first product offering. For more information, visit the website at www.wwre.org or www.worldwideretailexchange.org.

WWRE Members
Albertson's (U.S., NYSE: ABS)
Auchan (France)
Best Buy (U.S., NYSE: BBY)
The Boots Company (U.K., LSE: BOOT.L)
C&A Europe (Belgium)
Casino (France, Parisbourse: 12558)
Coop Italia (Italy)
Coop Schweiz (Switzerland)
Cora (France, PSE: 06176)
CVS/pharmacy (U.S., NYSE: CVS)
Dairy Farm International (Hong Kong, SES: DAIR.SI/Reuters, DAIRYNEW SP/Bloomberg)
Dansk Supermarked (Denmark)
Delhaize Group (Belgium, BSE: DEL)
Dixons Group plc (U.K., LSE: DXNS)
Edeka (Germany)
El Corte Ingles (Spain)
Galeries Lafayette (France, Parisborse: 12124)
Gap Inc. (U.S., NYSE: GPS)
Giant Eagle (U.S.)
H.E. Butt Grocery Company (U.S.)
Hy-Vee (U.S)
JCPenney (U.S., NYSE: JCP)
John Lewis (U.K., JLH)
Jusco (Japan, TSE: 8267)
Kesko (Finland, HEX: KES)
Kingfisher (U.K., LSE: KGF)
Kmart Corporation (U.S., NYSE: KM)
Laurus (The Netherlands)
Longs Drugs (U.S., NYSE: LDG)
Makro Asia (Bangkok)
Marks & Spencer (U.K., LSE: MKS)
Meijer, Inc. (U.S.)
Otto Versand (Germany)
Publix Super Markets (U.S.)
RadioShack Corporation (U.S., NYSE: RSH)
REWE (Germany)
Rite Aid Corporation (U.S., NYSE, PSE: RAD)
Royal Ahold (The Netherlands, NYSE: AHO)
Safeway Inc. (U.S., NYSE: SWY)
Safeway plc (U.K., LSE: SFW.L)
Schlecker (Germany)
Seibu Department Stores Ltd. (Japan)
ShopKo Stores, Inc. (U.S., NYSE: SKO)
Sobeys Inc. (Canada, TSE: SBY)
SUPERVALU INC. (U.S., NYSE: SVU)
Target Corporation (U.S., NYSE: TGT)
Tengelmann Group (Germany)
Tesco (U.K., LSE: TSC.OL)
Toys R Us (U.S., NYSE: TOY)
Walgreen Co. (U.S., NYSE: WAG)
Wegmans Food Markets, Inc. (U.S.)
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. (U.S., NYSE: WIN)
Wooltru Ltd. (South Africa, JSE: WLO)
Woolworths (Australia, ASX: WOW)

 

Media Contacts:
Keri Phifer
WorldWide Retail Exchange
703.234.5056
kphifer@wwre.org

or

Laura Battle
Edelman Public Relations Worldwide
312.233.1374
laura.battle@edelman.com

 

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