Retail Expert, Inc. Hosts User Group Conference
Users Share Success and Results

Woburn , Massachusetts ( June 5, 2006 ) -- Retail Expert hosted the second annual User Group Conference in May, in Orlando , Florida . The conference, titled Going Beyond ROI, included user presentations and demonstrations, training, roundtable discussions - and a lot of fun.

Retailers from all industry segments attended the conference, including grocery, specialty, pharmacy, and department stores. “It is both exciting and humbling to see the nation’s leading retailers come together to discuss how our Navigation Systems help them exceed their profit goals each day,” said Garrett Knight, President of Retail Expert.

The content and format was designed entirely by users. ”The dedication and passion of our business partners made this conference a success,” said John Conmy, Executive Vice President. “The knowledge and experience of our user community was the key - from defining what topics would be discussed, to making presentations, to giving live product demonstrations.”

Troy Walsh, Director of Operations and Loss Prevention for Vitamin World, shared how NaviStor has benefited areas far beyond Loss Prevention. “With NaviStor, we are able to prevent losses that were previously invisible,” Walsh noted. “What is even more impressive is how we help other departments increase profits and reduce shrink.” The success at Vitamin World shows how powerful NaviStor is when used across the enterprise.

NaviTrack and NaviStor Co-Pilot, two newer Navigation Systems, were highlighted at the conference. NaviTrack focuses on inventory and direct-store-delivery, while NaviStor Co-Pilot is used by store managers to improve associate performance at the store level.

Larry Foster, Director of Loss Prevention & Forensic Analysis, and Bob Quinn, Manager of Loss Prevention Analysis at CVS, gave a live demonstration of NaviTrack. “Direct Store Delivery (DSD) represents a large percentage of our store level receipts,” said Foster. “With NaviTrack we can see the losses that we were accepting and it has allowed us to introduce effective vendor and store training programs. NaviTrack has improved our inventory accuracy, reduced our markdowns, lowered shrink, and increased sales in these areas.”

Tim Sullivan, Asset Protection Systems Administrator at Penn Traffic, and Jim D’Agostino, Manager of Marmaxx Store Operations Control at TJX Corporation, demonstrated NaviStor Co-Pilot. They demonstrated how the program gives managers the information needed to retrain and counsel cashiers who are underperforming. “The best approach to reduce loss and increase profits is to give information to people who can take action because it makes an immediate impact. NaviStor Co-Pilot does just that,” said Sullivan.

“By establishing focus transactions, we are improving performance and increasing profits,” added D’Agostino. “We set store-specific goals and through counseling and transaction monitoring, we can see our managers meet those goals. Sharing easy-to-understand information, like graphs and weekly trends, in with a store manager encourages him or her to look for results.”

Cathy Langley, Director of Loss Prevention Analytics for Rite Aid, explained how NaviStor supports their shrink program. “By quantifying the losses associated with procedural exceptions, we have a better understanding of what drives losses. NaviStor has not only made a financial impact on shrink and profits, it has led to improvements in procedures and compliance. With NaviStor, we are confident that we are realizing the highest possible profit from each sale going forward,” said Langley .

About Retail Expert, Inc.
Retail Expert, Inc. was founded in 1996 and is a privately owned company with offices in Boston, New Jersey, 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 Loss Prevention, Sales Audit, Operations, Freight Management, Refund Management, and Inventory Control disciplines. In addition to Penn Traffic, Retail Expert, Inc.’s customers include CVS/Pharmacy, Rite Aid Corporation, Linens ‘n Things, Marshall’s, TJ Maxx, Burlington Coat Factory, Helzberg Diamonds, Home Goods, Regis Corporation, Spencer Gifts, Toys R Us, Babies R Us, Schnuck Markets, Barnes & Noble College Booksellers, Basha’s, Gordman’s, Lund Food Holdings, Big Y Foods, Hannaford Bros., HEB Grocery, Spartan Stores, Shopper’s Drug Mart, Lowes Foods, and a large specialty retail apparel chain in the San Francisco Bay area.

Media Contact: Kelli Woelfel
Retail Expert, Inc.
781-933-8436