Eleven major retailers select HP systems to run mission-critical applications.

NAVY PIER, CHICAGO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 20, 1997-- Hewlett-Packard Company today announced that 11 major retailers have chosen the HP 9000 UNIX(R) system Enterprise Server as their technology platform for developing, deploying and managing mission-critical applications. The retailers include Associated Food Stores, Barnes & Noble, Federated Department Stores Financial and Credit Services, Circuit City, CVS/Pharmacy, Hill's Department Stores, KFC Corporation, Liz Claiborne, Longs Drugs, Starbucks and Walgreens. The announcement was made here at the Retail Systems '97 Conference and Expo.

"Several trends will continue to shape the retail industry over the next few years -- increased consolidation, increased competition from alternative store formats and the emerging market of electronic commerce," said Ray Kelly, managing executive for HP's Retail Industry Group. "These trends indicate that the future of retailing will revolve around improved processes, better cooperation among trading partners and, most important, improved customer service. By implementing information-technology solutions that incorporate HP 9000 Enterprise Servers, retailers will be able to meet today's business challenges while positioning themselves to survive in a volatile future."

Retailers are relying on the HP 9000 Enterprise Server to build and run their mission- and business-critical applications with a flexible, scaleable information-technology (IT) infrastructure. Increasingly, retailers are implementing such IT solutions as electronic commerce, data warehousing and customer service, which demand high availability.

New HP 9000 Enterprise Server customers include the following:

-- Associated Food Stores has chosen three HP 9000 Enterprise Servers, with Dallas Systems distribution- and warehouse-management software running Informix RDBMS. The solution also includes an Informix data warehouse with Strategic Decisions' CATMANDO decision-support and category-management software.

-- Barnes & Noble, one of the largest bookstore chains in the United States, has implemented an electronic-commerce solution that incorporates the HP 9000 K-class Enterprise Server at the inventory-query stage of the application. The HP 9000 is running an Informix database.

-- Circuit City, one of the nation's largest retailers of brand-name consumer electronics and major appliances, and a leading retailer of personal computers and music software, has selected HP's UNIX system suite of products as its preferred UNIX system server standard.

-- CVS/Pharmacy currently operates 1,400 stores. CVS has selected the HP 9000 Model K460 Enterprise Server to run PeopleSoft Financials with the Oracle relational database.

-- Federated Department Stores Financial and Credit Services, is incorporating HP 9000 K-class Enterprise Servers for its catalog operations with AVEXXIS' Catman software.

-- Hills Department Store is moving from IBM to HP 9000 enterprise Servers for its merchandising, data-warehousing, financials, human-resources, payroll and e-mail applications. The solutions will incorporate Oracle as the database, Lawson products for financials and human resources and Retek software for merchandise management.

-- KFC Corporation, one of the nation's largest quick-service chains, with more than 9,000 company-owned and franchised restaurants, has selected the HP 9000 Enterprise Server and Informix's Metacube data-warehouse software for sales and marketing decision support.

-- Liz Claiborne is replacing its current operational systems with new HP 9000 Enterprise Servers running state-of-the-art packaged applications across the enterprise. The new solution also includes an HP- and Oracle-based data warehouse for Liz Claiborne's centralized decision-support requirements.

-- Longs Drugs, a long-time customer of HP 3000 systems, has chosen HP 9000 Model D370 Enterprise Servers and Informix to roll out a client/server pharmacy system and in-store applications to all 330 of its stores.

-- Starbucks, a specialty coffee chain of 1,100 stores, chose HP as its client/server architecture partner with Oracle RDBMS, running strategic business applications on several HP 9000 Enterprise Servers.

-- Walgreens, one of the nation's largest drug store chains, has selected HP with Lawson software to run its human-resources and payroll applications on the HP 9000 Model K460 Enterprise Server with Oracle RDBMS.

ABOUT HP

HP is the official information-technology hardware and maintenance supplier to the 1998 World Cup soccer tournament and the 1997 Tournament of France. Selected for its technology and skills to support and manage mission-critical applications, HP will help create an information-management infrastructure for handling game-scoring; media centers; personnel accreditation; hotel information; and various ticketing, stadium, warehouse and back-office operations.

Hewlett-Packard Company is a leading global provider of computing, Internet and Intranet solutions, services, communications products and measurement solutions, all of which are recognized for excellence in quality and support. It is the second-largest computer supplier in the United States, with computer-related revenue in excess of $31.4 billion in its 1996 fiscal year. HP has 114,600 employees and had revenue of $38.4 billion in its 1996 fiscal year.

Information about HP and its products can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.hp.com . Information regarding HP's Retail Industry can be found at http://www.hp.com/go/retail . -0-

Note to Editors: UNIX is a registered trademark in the United States and other countries, licensed exclusively through X/Open(R) Company Limited.

X/Open is a registered trademark, and the X device is a trademark of X/Open Company Ltd. in the UK and other countries.

CONTACT: The Hoffman Agency for HP

Lisa Warren-Plungy, 408/447-6928

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