Business Services Industry

ACNielsen Expands Coverage of Fast-Growing Dollar Store Retail Channel; Release of Family Dollar Census-Based Sales Information Set for September

Business Wire, August 31, 2005

SCHAUMBURG, Ill. -- As part of its ongoing expansion of consumer packaged goods (CPG) industry sales coverage, ACNielsen U.S. today announced that census-based sales data for Family Dollar Stores, Inc. (NYSE:FDO) will be available beginning in September. The information will give Family Dollar vendors access to syndicated store-by-store insights into their sales performance at one of the largest dollar store retailers in the country.

Family Dollar has over 5,800 locations in 44 states.

John Scanlon, Family Dollar Senior Vice President, General Merchandising & Marketing, said, "We are very pleased to expand the scope of our work with ACNielsen. The availability of census-based sales information will enable us to work with our many manufacturer partners to more precisely tailor our assortment, pricing, merchandising, and marketing efforts to the needs of consumers living near our stores. We encourage our vendors to utilize market data when meeting with us to review category plans."

Alice Fawver, Senior Vice President, U.S. Marketing, ACNielsen Retail Measurement Services, said, "This is a critical step forward in our expanding coverage of the important dollar store channel. With aggressive growth in store openings, household penetration, and shopping frequency, the dollar store channel is on the radar screens of most consumer packaged goods manufacturers. We are pleased to offer them new insights into this important retailer in the channel."

Under a previously announced agreement, Family Dollar relies on ACNielsen for syndicated sales analysis, consumer insights, and merchandising management software. The ACNielsen Homescan(R) consumer panel suite of syndicated tools provides insights into Family Dollar's shoppers; ACNielsen Spaceman(R) software helps Family Dollar merchandise its products most effectively; and Family Dollar uses ACNielsen NITRO software to access its syndicated point-of-sale data housed in a customized ACNielsen Retail Warehouse Solution and to easily import the data into Microsoft Office documents. Additionally, ACNielsen analysts provide full-time on-site support to Family Dollar.

ACNielsen was the first marketing information company to provide account-level information for the dollar store channel.

ACNielsen, a VNU business, is the world's leading marketing information provider. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the unit provides measurement and analysis of marketplace dynamics and consumer attitudes and behavior. Clients rely on ACNielsen's market research, proprietary products, analytical tools and professional service to understand competitive performance, to uncover new opportunities and to raise the profitability of their marketing and sales campaigns.

Note to Editors: Look for this press release and other ACNielsen news on the Internet at http://us.acnielsen.com/news/.>