Claritas Launches Customized Spatial Analysis Function for CVS/Pharmacy; Nation's Leading Pharmacy Hosts Tailor-Made Version of iMARK.

Business Editors

SAN DIEGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 24, 2001

Claritas Inc., the premier provider of intelligent marketing information and target marketing services, today announced it has developed and launched a customized spatial analysis tool for CVS/pharmacy, America's No. 1 retail pharmacy, that provides key demographic and site location data for its critical site selection process.

"Implementing the customized iMARK Enterprise solution at CVS has empowered our Regional Directors in the field to access mission critical data that they need to make informed decisions. Enabling the Directors to utilize the same information as our Market Research group expedites the decision-making process and ultimately facilitates our New Store Development process," said Suzanne B. Lanois, CVS director of real estate administration.

Claritas Senior Vice President of Sales Matt O'Grady said CVS is making full use of iMARK by hosting the system internally. Among other things, the customized system includes competitive drug store data from Trade Dimensions (a Claritas sister company), a traffic count database, and CVS' internal customer and location data.

He further explained that CVS can update customer and location data as needed and access this data for use in other applications, adding that it also includes an expansion planning module to prevent cannibalization of existing CVS locations. Also, as a part of this function, customer data is spatially analyzed to insure sufficient demand in a proposed market before a new location is opened.

"Claritas is committed to providing CVS with the most accurate and comprehensive site and market level data and is very pleased to expand our partnership," O'Grady said.

iMARK combines Claritas' powerful demographic databases with a client's proprietary information to deliver fast access to actionable information -- anytime, anywhere. iMARK users can save various templates, allowing quick access to pre-determined map and report layouts.

They can also interact with a presentation-quality map from the outset with the ability to overlay multiple thematic views of their data.

About CVS Corp.

CVS is America's No. 1 pharmacy dispensing more retail prescriptions in more stores than any other chain. With annual revenues of more than $20 billion, CVS has created innovative approaches to serve the healthcare needs of all of our customers through its more than 4,100 CVS/Pharmacy stores; CVS ProCare, its specialty pharmacy business; CVS.com, its online pharmacy; and Pharmacare, its pharmacy benefit management company. General information about CVS is available through the Investor Relations portion of the company's Web site, at CVS.com.

About Claritas

Based in San Diego, Claritas Inc. is regarded as the premier worldwide provider of precision marketing solutions, developed, in part, through intricate customer segmentation systems and other such marketing tools. Along with MicroVision, its PRIZM system, introduced in 1974, is widely acclaimed for identifying, locating and targeting customers and best prospects. Claritas is a division of VNU Marketing Information Inc. (VNU MI Inc.), an established leader in providing a wide variety of industries with innovative precision-marketing solutions including geodemographic information and qualitative audience research. VNU MI Inc. is a subsidiary of VNU Inc., which also includes Nielsen Media Research, Bill Communications, BPI Communications, SRDS, VNU eMedia, and VNU Expositions. To learn more about Claritas' products and services visit its Web site at www.claritas.com.