The Container Store Selects Retek Integrated Store Operations Solutions to Improve Customer Service

Business Wire, March 6, 2003

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

MINNEAPOLIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 6, 2003

Mid-Market Specialty Retailer to Improve Customer Shopping Experience

with Retek(R) Point-of-Sale(TM) and Retek(R) Labor Management(TM)

Applications

Retek Inc. (Nasdaq:RETK) today announced that The Container Store, the nation's leading retailer of storage and organization products, has selected Retek(R) Integrated Store Operations(TM) (ISO) solutions to improve in-store operations and customer satisfaction.

Retek Integrated Store Operations will replace The Container Store's legacy store systems for point-of-sale and labor management at its 28 stores, and integrate with existing custom applications. The Retek solution is built on a Java-based, open platform that will support the company's upgrade path with a low total cost of ownership (TCO).

"The Retek Integrated Store Operations solution will enable The Container Store to implement a formidable and impressive array of strategic capabilities in our stores," said Tom Birmingham, chief technology officer for The Container Store. "The flexible and easy to maintain platform will integrate well with our existing applications. In addition to leveraging the readily available functionality provided by the solution, we have the ability to easily incorporate unique and proprietary functionality to improve operations and customer value."

The ISO solution is a group of in-store operations applications that use and share common business logic, configuration utilities and technology infrastructure. The solution has three unique characteristics:

-- Its features support a wide range of store functionality, including POS (point-of-sale), labor management, cash management and inventory management, all delivered through an extremely flexible and leading edge technology platform.

-- It is faster to deploy and easy to use, reducing training time and implementation expense.

-- The applications are proven to simplify store operations by improving customer service and decreasing costs.

"We are delighted to add The Container Store to our growing list of Mid-Market clients," said Patrick Bohannon, Retek's vice president of mid-market operations. "Leading retailers like The Container Store, whose success depends on providing the best customer service, while maintaining low operating costs, are recognizing the value of quick implementation and fast ROI that the Java-based Retek Integrated Store Operations provides. The proven success with Retek ISO can be achieved by retailers of all sizes and in all geographies."

About The Container Store

The Container Store currently has 28 locations including: Dallas, Plano, Fort Worth, Southlake, Houston, Austin and San Antonio, Texas; Atlanta; Denver; Chicago, Northbrook, Oakbrook, and Schaumburg, Ill.; Rockville, Md.; Arlington and the Tysons Corner area of Northern Virginia/Washington, D.C.; White Plains, N.Y.; Paramus, N.J. (opened May 2002); Columbus, Ohio, Miami, Fla. and in San Francisco (opened October 2002), Walnut Creek, Corte Madera (opened June 2002), Costa Mesa and San Diego, Calif. Additionally, the retailer's Customer Solutions Department (800/786-7315) offers expert product solutions and free space planning for customers' storage and organization challenges via the phone, Web site (www.containerstore.com), fax and mail. The Container Store was selected #2 on FORTUNE magazine's list of the "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" in 2003 and 2002. The company held the #1 spot on the list in 2000 and 2001. Sales for 2003 are projected at $335 million.

About Retek Inc.

Retek Inc. (Nasdaq:RETK) is the leading provider of mission-critical software and services to the retail industry. Retek 10 integrates collaborative software with patented predictive technologies, consulting services, and the best practices of customers and partners to help retailers create, manage and fulfill consumer demand. Leading global retailers including A&P, Fast Retailing, Tesco, Best Buy, Family Dollar Stores, Gap Inc., Sainsbury's, Eckerd Corp. and Kohl's Department Stores use Retek solutions. On the net: Retek at http://www.retek.com.

Retek is a trademark of Retek Inc. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are made under the Safe Harbor Provision of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated. Such factors are described from time to time in the company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and other reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.