PetSmart Selects Unicru to Find People Passionate About Pets; Top Specialty Retailer of Pet Food and Supplies Looks to Unicru to Hire the Best

Business Wire, Jan 17, 2006

PORTLAND, Ore. & NEW YORK -- With a mission to staff itself with only those that excel at retail and have a passion for pets, PetSmart Inc. has selected Unicru(R) Inc. as its hiring management vendor of choice. Unicru will help this leading pet retailer to consistently apply best hiring practices across all its locations, enabling them to efficiently identify and select pet-loving retail applicants to deliver the unique customer experience for which PetSmart is known. Unicru's system will be used to recruit, screen and hire all job candidates applying for positions at PetSmart's 800-plus retail stores, nine distribution centers and corporate facility. PetSmart currently employs over 30,000 people in the U.S. and Canada.

Unicru now provides its workforce selection system to 21 of the top 100 retailers as identified by STORES magazine; more than any other hiring management vendor serving the retail industry.

PetSmart realizes its frontline associates are the face of its brand. As such, Unicru's hiring management system will allow the retailer to screen out those applicants that do not meet minimum requirements, highlight those who possess desirable on-the-job behaviors, and streamline the hiring process to secure the best candidates quickly. Unicru also assists in streamlining tax credit capture, and minimizing the payment of non-qualifying unemployment claims, among other benefits. In addition to implementing Unicru's dependability, customer service and safety performance assessments that focus on key behavioral traits associated with job success, PetSmart worked closely with Unicru's team of industrial psychologists to build selection criteria capable of identifying the most qualified, pet-loving applicants.

"PetSmart's selection of Unicru is further indication of our strong reputation as a hiring management vendor that has proven it can successfully drive measurable business results for retailers," said Chris Marsh, president and CEO at Unicru. "We realize PetSmart's culture is rooted in a passion for pets, people and performance and we're looking forward to helping the company find associates that fit this mold."

About PetSmart

PetSmart, Inc. (NASDAQ:PETM) is the largest specialty retailer of services and solutions for the lifetime needs of pets. The company operates more than 800 pet stores in the United States and Canada, a growing number of in-store PetsHotels, and is a leading online provider of pet products and information (www.PetSmart.com). PetSmart provides a broad range of competitively priced pet food and supplies, and offers complete pet training, grooming and adoption services.

About Unicru

Unicru is the leading provider of talent management solutions focused on improving workforce quality and productivity within the nation's leading employers. Deep industry expertise, extensive client experience and knowledge gleaned from nearly 50 million job applicants combine for a proven solution that integrates hiring automation, employee selection programs and performance measurement to drive measurable business results. Unicru is currently deployed in more than 25,000 locations nationwide for over 100 leading companies and brands, including Albertsons, Kroger, PetSmart, Best Buy, Uno's Restaurants and Burgerville restaurants. For more information, visit www.unicru.com.

Unicru is a registered trademark of Unicru, Inc.