ALEXANDRIA, VA (December 18, 2002) – Bayer Consumer Care and Welch’s announced this week that they have selected the WorldWide Retail Exchange as their home data pool. By selecting the WWRE's WorldWide Item Management (WIM) solution, the organizations will synchronize public and private data with WWRE members and with UCCnet community members via the WWRE's conduit to UCCnet. In addition to the WWRE’s global catalog and item synchronization capabilities, the WWRE is also a UCCnet “Preferred Partner in Sync,” and is supply-side certified for machine-to-machine connection to UCCnet’s GLOBALregistry™ and GlOBALhub.

The manufacturers cited the WWRE’s ability to bring manufacturers and retailers together on a single, neutral platform and its commitment to driving and adopting evolving EAN.UCC standards as key decision factors.

Tony Gabrielli, manager of Customer eCommerce/Replenishment at Bayer noted, “After completing a comprehensive review of item management and data synchronization solutions currently available in the marketplace, we chose the WWRE's WIM solution. Publishing our Consumer Care products to the WWRE, is an important first step in carrying out our item management strategy; the next step will be to onboard these products to UCCnet for item registry and data synchronization services, which we will do via the WWRE.”

“Choosing the WWRE proved to be the most effective and efficient way to meet Welch’s business requirements, satisfy the needs of our customers and support the industry-wide management initiative,” added Jim Callahan, director of Corporate Communications at Welch’s. “Welch’s will utilize the WWRE and UCCnet to deliver information for all 300 of our products to our customers and to work towards eliminating inefficiencies in the supply chain.”

John Gleeson, vice president, Corporate Strategy for Walgreens stated, “Walgreens first implemented WIM in early 2002, and has already seen significant and measurable results. Since we’re fully integrated to the Exchange, we expect those results to multiply exponentially as new suppliers come onboard and we continue scaling up our efforts.”

“The WWRE is excited to welcome Bayer and Welch’s onboard. It’s good news for us, and more importantly, good news for our members who are moving beyond pilot phase and into production with a proven global solution for item management,” said Colin Dyer, CEO of the WWRE.

WIM is built on a solid foundation of secure catalog technology including AS2, which significantly reduces traditional communication costs. The WIM solution currently consists of an item synchronization service that is live in seven languages, UCCnet on-boarding services and a global catalog containing public and private trading relationship data, in food, apparel, and general merchandise categories.

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 62 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 $700 million through the use of its solutions. For more information, visit the website at www.wwre.org or www.worldwideretailexchange.org.

About Welch’s
Welch's is the world's leading marketer of Concord and Niagara grape-based products, including grape juice and jelly. The company produces a variety of other fruit-based products, including 100 percent juices, juice cocktails, and drinks in the following forms: bottled, refrigerated, single serve, and frozen and shelf-stable concentrates. In addition, Welch's produces a number of fruit spreads under both the Welch's and BAMA brand names. Welch's Web site can be found at www.welchs.com.

About Bayer
Best known for its flagship product, Bayer Aspirin, Bayer Corporation produces a broad range of health care, life sciences and chemical products that help diagnose and treat diseases, purify water, preserve local landmarks, protect crops, advance automobile safety and durability and improve people's lives.

Headquartered in Pittsburgh, Bayer Corporation had sales of $10.1 billion in 2001 and is one of Fortune magazine's Most Admired Companies. The company employs 21,500 people. It is a member of the worldwide Bayer Group, a $27 billion international health care and chemicals group based in Leverkusen, Germany. The Bayer Group stock is a component of the DAX and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (ticker symbol: BAY)