Electronic Retailing Systems International, Inc. Names New Board Member.

NORWALK, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 13, 1998--Electronic Retailing Systems International, Inc. (ERS) (NASDAQ: ERSI) today announced the appointment of Sheldon Weinig, Adjunct Professor at the Engineering School at Columbia University and former Vice Chairman of Sony Engineering and Manufacturing of America to its Board of Directors, effective September 25, 1998.

Weinig has been an Adjunct Professor at Columbia University since 1994 and at State University of New York, Stony Brook, since 1993. From 1990 to 1994, he was Vice Chairman of Manufacturing at Sony Engineering and Manufacturing of America. From 1994 to 1996, Weinig served as Consultant to Sony. Prior to his positions at Sony, Weinig was CEO and Chairman of Materials Research Corporation. He is a board member of Aseco Corporation, Insituform Technologies, Inc., Intermagnetics General Corporation, Kentek Information Systems, Inc. and U.S. Cast Polymers, Inc.

"Throughout his career, Mr. Weinig, 70, has been very successful at directing manufacturing and distribution for such world-class technology companies as Sony. As ERS grows its customer base and extends its installations, Mr. Weinig's knowledge and expertise in this area will be very valuable," said Bruce F. Failing, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of ERS.

Mr. George Weathersby ceased to be a director of ERS following the ERS annual meeting of stockholders.

ERS is a leading developer and supplier of electronic shelf labeling systems designed to improve retailer profitability. The ERS ShelfNet(R) system is designed to assist retailers in cost savings and pricing accuracy by using a wireless network to link a store's central computer both to its check-out scanner and to the Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) that display pricing information at the shelf edge. With ShelfNet, this pricing information is updated automatically on the ESLs when prices in the point-of-sale (POS) scanner are changed. This provides price integrity between the shelf edge and the POS scanners. ShelfNet uses spread spectrum RF technology, which is the most widely used method of wireless communication in retail today. In addition, ShelfNet uses a suite of patented software applications designed to communicate merchandising, inventory and other information to and from store personnel in the aisle. These applications are designed to provide value-added benefits to retailers in the areas of shelf-edge merchandising, replenishment control, strategic pricing and shelf set compliance.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. ERS' actual results may vary from those anticipated due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the timely availability and acceptance of new products, the rate of development of the emerging market for electronic shelf label systems, the impact of competitive products and pricing, the management of growth, and other factors set forth in reports and other documents filed by ERS with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time.