ALEXANDRIA, VA (August 9, 2001) - The WorldWide Retail Exchange, the premier business-to-business exchange for retailers and suppliers, today announced that MARKANT, the German-based services organization, has joined the Exchange as its newest charter member.

"MARKANT's membership expands our global membership and reach," said Peter Jueptner, chief commercial officer for the WWRE. "Further, MARKANT strengthens our presence in Germany and other parts of Europe. They will be an important player in the further development of the Exchange."

MARKANT represents over 20,000 outlets throughout Germany. Combined with their activities in the European Marketing Distribution (EMD) located in Switzerland, MARKANT's reach extends to 55,000 outlets throughout Europe with an annual turnover of 93 billion Euros ($82 billion US).

"We were created to extend the benefits of large retailers to small and mid-size retailers through collaboration," explained Henry Taubald, chief executive at MARKANT. "Membership to the WWRE is an extension of this philosophy, and an important step forward in our efforts to collaborate on an international basis."

Markant marks the third new member to join the Exchange over the last month. In late July, the WWRE announced that Hy Vee, one of the US's 15 largest supermarket companies, joined the Exchange, and a day later announced its first supplier member: SCA Hygiene Products, one of Europe's leading manufacturers of hygiene products. These new members join just as the WWRE hits its $100 million mark in member savings, a number that reflects total member savings to date via their online negotiations product.

About MARKANT
MARKANT brings together the potential of numerous small and mid-size wholesalers and retailers in order to develop the advantages of a co-operation between all members. This co-operation focuses on purchasing, centralized invoicing and payment, the provision of payment guarantees, logistics, marketing, communication and financing. For more information, visit the website at http://www.markant.net/

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 56 retail industry leaders from Africa, Asia, Europe, North America and South America with combined sales of over U.S. $820 billion. To date, the WWRE has saved its members over $100,000,000 through the use of online negotiations, 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)
MARKANT (Germany)
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)
SCA Hygiene Products (Sweden)
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:
Larisa Myles Spillman
Edelman Public Relations Worldwide
312.297.7440
larisa.spillman@edelman.com

or

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

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