Retail Expert, Inc. Announces Partnership with Checkpoint Systems Europe, Inc.

Woburn , MA - Dishonest retail staff is the focus of a new European initiative aimed at reducing total shrinkage. The European Retail Theft Barometer 2004 highlighted the fact that although shoplifting was in decline, theft from staff was on the increase. Now, Checkpoint Systems Europe, the leading provider of RF-based shrink management solutions for retailers and consumer packaged goods manufacturers, has signed exclusive rights with US firm Retail Expert Inc. to market and distribute its analytical software product NaviStor ® across Europe . The partnership will enable Checkpoint to offer retailers a total shrink management solution that targets both external and internal theft for the first time.

NaviStor ®, which is designed to help retailers reduce shortages and improve performance by compiling a series of actionable reports, is particularly effective as a loss prevention tool that can identify employee theft at point-of-sale. With figures from the European Retail Theft Barometer showing employee theft accounts for 36% of shrinkage, the need for retailers to tackle the problem becomes very clear.

Neil Matthews, head of shrink management solutions at Checkpoint Systems Europe, comments, “Our partnership with Retail Expert allows Checkpoint to offer retailers a truly integrated shrink management solution that will tackle both crime caused by external forces i.e. shoplifters, and also internal theft by staff. Retail Expert’s NaviStor ® product is tried and tested in the US with exceptional results for leading retailers and we are delighted to be joining forces with them to distribute the product in Europe.

Matthews also says, “Figures show that internal theft is a huge problem and so far, retailers have not had access to a specific tool from Checkpoint which helps them combat this. By offering the NaviStor® product as part of an integrated shrink management solution, Checkpoint will now become the one-stop-shop in the fight against shrinkage.”

Garrett Knight, President, CEO at Retail Expert, Inc., says, “We have a lot of respect for the management team at Checkpoint Europe, and we look forward to working with them to deliver an integrated profit protection solution for their customers.”

John Conmy, Executive Vice President, Retail Expert, Inc., adds, “We have built a solid foundation of customers and products in the United States. After investigating our options to market our products in Europe, it became very clear that Checkpoint has the credibility, structure and industry knowledge to enable us to successfully launch our products across Europe.”

About Checkpoint Systems, Inc.

Checkpoint Systems, Inc. is an international company that specialises in product identification and shrink management solutions for the retail industry and its supply chain. Checkpoint's solutions provide its customers greater efficiencies from the point of manufacture to the point of sale and improve the consumer shopping experience.

Listed on the NYSE, the company employs more than 4,000 personnel worldwide, has direct sales in 30 countries, and has distributors in 50 countries. Checkpoint is the world's leading provider of RF (Radio Frequency) technology, producing billions of RF tags and manufacturing and installing tens of thousands of RF antennas annually. The company's extensive product portfolio includes digital RF/EAS (Electronic Article Surveillance) and RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) systems, RF source tagging, barcode and labelling systems, including a global network of 31 service bureaus, and solutions for retail merchandising.

Checkpoint is also known for commissioning pioneering academic research into consumer trends and shrinkage through the annual publication of the European Retail Theft Barometer, an extension of its consultancy with many of the world's leading retail brands.

Checkpoint's European Website is located at www.checkpointeurope.com

 About Retail Expert, Inc.

Retail Expert, Inc. is a privately owned company with offices in Boston, Philadelphia and San Diego. Retail Expert, Inc. provides innovative software solutions as well as superior technical and consulting services for the retail industry. Its applications deliver significant benefits and rapid ROI in the Loss Prevention, Sales Audit, Store Operations, Freight Management, Refund Management, Pharmacy Operations and Inventory Control disciplines. Retail Expert Inc.’s customers include: HEB Grocery, CVS/Pharmacy, Rite Aid Corporation, Toys R Us, Lund Food Holdings, Bashas, Schnuck Markets, Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, Gordmans, Hannaford Brothers, Vitamin World®, The Penn Traffic, Linens ‘N Things, Marshall’s TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, Home Goods, Babies R Us, Helzberg Diamonds, Regis Corporation, Spencer Gifts, K-VA-T (Food City), Big Y Foods and Lowes Foods.