Federated Department Stores Partners with WeddingChannel.com to Establish Nation's Largest Integrated In-Store and Online Bridal Registry

Business Wire, May 25, 1999

LOS ANGELES/CINCINNATI--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 25, 1999--

Alliance will Capitalize on Exploding Bridal Registry Market

WeddingChannel.com, the Internet's most comprehensive wedding planning resource, and Federated Department Stores, Inc. (NYSE: FD), the nation's leading department store retailer, today announced an exclusive agreement to create an integrated in-store and online bridal registry.

This first-of-its kind alliance establishes WeddingChannel.com as an e-commerce powerhouse whose reach will be integrated with bridal registries of Federated customers and their existing annual wedding gift purchases of several hundred million dollars. Federated also will become a shareholder in WeddingChannel.com through a significant investment.

Every year, more than 2.4 million couples get married and on average, 188 guests attend each wedding - translating into a gift industry estimated at more than $10 billion dollars. By integrating the hundreds of thousands of annual bridal registries from Federated's 403 department stores and online sites with WeddingChannel.com's rich content, personalized Web sites and planning tools, this new alliance brings together the very best of the off and online worlds.

Once integrated with Federated's stores and web sites, WeddingChannel.com, already the leading online wedding destination, becomes the largest online registry hub for engaged couples and wedding guests: by clicking www.weddingchannel.com they can access the registries and product inventories of Federated's premier department stores throughout the country: Bloomingdale's, The Bon Marche, Burdines, Goldsmith's, Lazarus, Macy's, Rich's and Stern's.

"Bridal registry sales are big business and this agreement, together with our exclusive relationship with Conde Nast's BRIDE'S Magazine, reinforces WeddingChannel.com as an unbeatable sales and marketing force and the leading online wedding resource," commented Donald Drapkin, chairman of WeddingChannel.com. "By partnering with Federated, we will be able to expand our e-commerce offerings and command an even larger share of the bridal registry market. It makes WeddingChannel.com the only Web address engaged couples need to know."

"Given the strength of Federated's position in the important bridal market and the rapid growth of e-commerce, this is a great opportunity to intensify our national in-store and online registry position by creating a full service wedding resource on the Web," Ronald Tysoe, vice chairman of Federated, said. "WeddingChannel.com has the tools, content and online expertise to enhance our bridal services and make this an even more significant part of our total business. The further integration of e-commerce with our stores will continue to enhance both shopping experiences for brides and grooms as well as their guests."

The companies believe that WeddingChannel.com's themed content and customizable planning tools complement Federated's retail and online presence, product inventory and fulfillment capabilities. This new partnership is uniquely positioned to expand offerings both in-store and on the Web and address the needs of additional life-stage driven commerce events in the future.

About WeddingChannel.com

WeddingChannel.com, www.weddingchannel.com, the Web's number-one bridal registry and wedding resource, is the first Internet business to offer consumers a complete menu of wedding-related services, including personalized web pages, planning tools, e-commerce, online travel planning, local business directories and the largest database of bridal fashions all through its patent-pending integrated technology. WeddingChannel.com has also formed a multi-million dollar content, sales and marketing partnership with Conde Nast's BRIDE'S Magazine, the number one bridal media brand. Based in Los Angeles, California, WeddingChannel.com is a private company whose investors include MacAndrews & Forbes Holdings, Inc., Goldman Sachs, MSD Capital, RRE Investors and idealab! Capital Partners.

About Federated Department Stores

Federated, with corporate offices in Cincinnati and New York, is one of the nation's leading department store retailers, with annual sales of more than $17.3 billion. Federated currently operates more than 403 department stores in 33 states under the names of Bloomingdale's, The Bon Marche, Burdines, Goldsmith's, Lazarus, Macy's, Rich's and Stern's. Federated also operates the Fingerhut, Bloomingdale's By Mail, Macy's By Mail and Macys.com direct-to-customer catalog and electronic commerce subsidiaries. Federated's current online sites for bridal registry and product information can be accessed at www.weddingline.com. For Bloomingdale's bridal registry, visit www.bloomingdales.com.