BANKING SUCCESS SPOTLIGHT SHINES ON SUPERMARKETS; International Banking Technologies (IBT) Hosts Sixth Annual Symposium for In-Store Bankers.

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 1995--Selling loans in the produce department among vine ripe tomatoes and summer squash. Retail bankers say it's a cinch--when you have the right approach and the right people executing a supermarket banking program.

Some 200 non-traditional bankers--who actually talk, act and look more like grocery store managers and employees--recently convened in Atlanta to share with their supermarket banking brethren why they believe, "in-store banking is where you want to be."

Atlanta-based International Banking Technologies (IBT) sponsored the sixth annual In-Store Banking Trends National Conference. IBT is credited with making supermarket branching a national trend by launching the sales platform(SM) concept 10 years ago.

IBT President John W. Garnett said that in-store branch procedures such as opening seven days a week; closing only on Christmas day; 30-minute loan decisions; and monthly product "specials" help banking institutions elevate their service delivery to a new plateau. And results show that participating banks reap the benefits of reaching profitability sooner and attracting a wider pool of potential customers than with traditional stand-alone branches.

Simply titled, "Spotlight on Success", the three-day idea exchange was led by in-store bankers from across the country who represent top-notch supermarket branching programs. "After listening to three days of incredible success stories, I have to say of our industry that the future has never looked brighter and that opportunities for banks to succeed in a retail food store environment have never been greater," said Garnett.

Success Stems from the Top --------------------------

One common denominator of successful in-store banking programs is strong senior management support. At Pavilion State Bank's supermarket branch located 50 miles east of Buffalo, NY, President and CEO Jay Humphrey boldly dons an in-store banker's apron and greets Tops Superstore shoppers on a regular basis. Because he is a well-known community leader, the apron-clad Humphrey is a walking billboard for one-stop banking and grocery shopping convenience.

As a result of hands-on management support, Pavilion State Bank's in-store branch brought in $7 million in deposits in seven months -- strong results for an $80 million financial institution entering a new market area with 10 competing institutions already firmly entrenched.

Bank of Oklahoma (Bok), a $3.8 billion financial institution based in Tulsa, operates six in-store branches in addition to 66 traditional banking facilities throughout the state. Bok Supermarket Banking District Manager Kay Hoffman devotes four days each week to face-to-face contact with the in-store branch teams, even though it means a 400-mile commute. "I am on call seven days a week all 60 hours our in-store locations are open," Hoffman said.

Such strong management backing helped lead Hoffman's team of in-store branches to the forefront of a bankwide loan campaign in the fall of 1994. Based on performance goals set for each of Bok's 66 branches, the in-store branches received three out of four sales campaign honors: 1) top branch district; 2) top sales manager; and 3) top referring employee.

Marketing Spotlight Never Dims ------------------------------

In-store banking is not a strategy reserved only for the historically aggressive, trend-setting banking organizations. Describing her financial institution as conservative, Commonwealth Savings Bank In-Store Banking Marketing Manager Lynette Hoffman said her organization has come to "see banking through new eyes. Supermarket banking is now a key focus for our company."

Commonwealth Savings Bank, a $1.2 billion institution based in Valley Forge, PA, opened its first in-store location in November 1994; by year-end 1995, Commonwealth's in-store branch network will grow to 10 locations and will total 17 by year-end 1996. Following grand opening activities of Commonwealth Saving's first four in-store locations, the branches had opened approximately 1,000 new accounts, representing more than $2.2 million in deposits.

Hoffman's marketing mission is to create an aura of excitement around in-store banking, spurring shoppers to ask, "How can I get that service?" Tying into supermarket technology, Hoffman launched a "Scan `N' Win" promotion. Tickets, printed with individualized bar codes, gave shoppers a chance to win $500 in groceries and gave bank staff an opportunity to make face-to-face contact with potential customers. The in-store promotion averaged a 77% response rate at Commonwealth's four in-store branches.

Spotlight on Sales ------------------

Just as senior management support and marketing efforts are critical to in-store banking success (i.e., sales), an equally important emphasis is operations streamlining.

California-based Great Western Bank, the second largest savings and loan institution in the U.S. with $42 billion in assets, operates 12 in-store branches and will open its 13th in May 1995. Nader Moghaddam, Great Western Regional Vice President of Supermarket Banking, made it very clear to his in-store banking peers that, "to increase sales opportunities (at in-store branches), operations constraints must be reduced."

Great Western has removed all back office functions from its supermarket locations and those tasks are now performed at one central operations center. All account opening procedures are being streamlined and application forms combined to make selling the number one in-store branch objective.

"As an in-store banker for more than 12 years, it is inconceivable to me that so much time, energy and resources have been devoted to brick and mortar branches," said IBT's Garnett.

"As evidenced by the more than 200 supermarket bankers who attended IBT's 1995 conference, in-store branches are laboratories that breed a sales culture that often spreads throughout the entire banking organization," said Garnett. "Supermarkets are where it's happening."

International Banking Technologies (IBT) is the in-store branching industry leader, providing comprehensive in-store branching services that include: branch site analysis, design, fabrication and installation, and specialized marketing and sales training programs for in-store branch sales associates and managers. IBT's sales platform approach to supermarket banking has been adopted by more than 800 in-store branches of 219 financial institutions in the U.S., Canada and Latin America. IBT is a subsidiary of First Financial Management Corporation (FFMC), a national leader in information services. FFMC's common stock is traded on the NYSE under the symbol of FFM.

CONTACT: International Banking Technologies

Kim R. Chimene, 404/279-4441