ACNielsen Introduces Newest Version of Spaceman Merchandising Software.

Business Editors

CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 5, 2003

Spaceman(R) 7.0 Adds New Levels of Flexibility

For an Increasingly Complex Retail Environment

ACNielsen U.S., an operating unit of ACNielsen, a VNU company, today announced the release of its most advanced merchandising software solution to date: Spaceman(R) 7.0. This new version extends Spaceman's reach to new retail channels, while giving users important new merchandising design and sales analysis capabilities. The announcement was made here during the annual Food Marketing Institute Show.

Joe Bucherer, vice president, ACNielsen Assortment & Merchandising Center of Excellence, said, "Spaceman 7.0 represents the state of the art in merchandising software. The retailing environment continues to become more complex and competitive, with more creative approaches to merchandising and growth in what were once considered non-traditional channels of trade. Spaceman 7.0 equips today's merchandising professionals to handle the most complex product assortment and display challenges."

New to this latest release of Spaceman is the ability to replicate displays and shelf sets unique to certain channels of trade such as home improvement, mass merchandise, and book retailers. For example, home improvement stores may display rakes by placing them inside garbage cans. Spaceman 7.0 can handle such "containment" situations with its "drag and drop" functionality. On their computer screen, users simply drag one item and drop it into another. Not only will the resulting planogram accurately represent the desired merchandising design, but Spaceman 7.0 is the only merchandising solution that allows users to analyze the profitability of each item separately by stock keeping unit (SKU).

Also included in Spaceman 7.0 are new levels of on-screen viewing flexibility. For example, users can see the same planogram from a variety of angles simultaneously. Or, different versions of the same angle may be viewed together - one front view highlighting under/overstock units, another highlighting the most profitable items, instantly showing the financial impact of merchandising changes.

Another core upgrade included in Spaceman 7.0 is its ability to translate ".psa" files. This allows manufacturer users of Spaceman to seamlessly input files from retailers that use other merchandising software products.

The Spaceman 7.0 suite of merchandising software solutions includes: Spaceman Professional Application Builder, the core Spaceman merchandising tool which incorporates Microsoft Visual Basic(R) for Applications for unmatched flexibility in the development of planograms; Spaceman Store Designer for floor planning; and Spaceman Product Planner for assortment optimization.

Existing ACNielsen Spaceman clients will receive Spaceman 7.0 at no additional cost as stated in their current maintenance agreements.

ACNielsen, a VNU company, is the world's leading marketing information company. Offering services in more than 100 countries, the company 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://acnielsen.com/news.