Wet Seal & FYE Announce Retail Alliance That Blends Fashion and Entertainment; Trendy Retailer Nabs Hollywood Records' BBMak for SEALtv Promotion and National Sweepstakes.

Business Editors

FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Sept. 16, 2002

Wet Seal, the nation's leading specialty retailer for hip girls of all ages, has teamed up with the national entertainment store FYE (for your entertainment) and Hollywood Records for a multi-faceted promotion that features rock/pop group BBMak and includes a major giveaway, point-of-sale cross-marketing, exclusive footage on SEALtv and shopping discounts at Wet Seal and FYE stores nationwide.

As part of Wet Seal's partnership with the entertainment giant, FYE will include special bag stuffers in over 650 FYE stores that offer a 15% discount on one's entire purchase at Wet Seal through October. The offer will also be printed on every FYE receipt throughout the month. At the same time, Wet Seal will include a coupon in every shopping bag, which offers $3 off of every BBMak "Into Your Head" CD purchased at FYE.

"FYE strives to bring cool and fun promotions to our younger entertainment consumers, which is why this partnership with Wet Seal was a logical one. In addition to major savings, our customers will have a great shopping experience in both stores," said Mark Hogan, Vice-President of Marketing for Trans World Entertainment.

In addition to great savings, Wet Seal will celebrate this partnership by offering loyal shoppers across the United States the opportunity to bring their favorite member of the Brit band home. Whether it's Christian "B"urns, Mark "B"arry or the "Mak" Ste McNally, it will be up to one lucky winner to choose which BBMak guy will personally deliver the grand prize -- a customized MINI-Cooper -- to the winner's home.

"Wet Seal once again is at the forefront of blending cool music with hot fashion. This promotion marks our biggest giveaway to date and further emphasizes our commitment to creating partnerships with leaders in the music industry that target a shared and powerful demographic," said Steve Strickland, Senior Vice-President of Marketing and Creative Services for Wet Seal.

25 second-prize winners will receive a copy of BBMak's latest CD, "Into Your Head," and a $50 Wet Seal gift card. Hollywood Records will also provide 45,000 enhanced CD singles, for exclusive distribution by Wet Seal, featuring the newest BBMak hit "Into Your head," one-on-one SEALtv interviews with the band, a sneak peek at Wet Seal's holiday offerings directly from the catalog photo shoot, and links to the Wet Seal, FYE and Hollywood Records websites.

"Hollywood Records is thrilled to partner with a retail category leader such as Wet Seal. Wet Seal's customer is dead on target with BBMak's core audience. Music and fashion create the celebrity lifestyle that everyone wants to experience. I am confident that the high-profile exposure of this campaign will translate into increased sales for both parties," said Rob Souriall, Vice-President of Marketing for Hollywood Records.

To celebrate this spectacular deal, SEALtv, the retailer's in-house fashion and entertainment network, will feature exclusive interviews and tons of videos from the band, including the breakout hit "Back Here" from the band's first album and the new single "Out of my Heart" from its just-released sophomore effort, "Into Your Head." SEALtv, a unique blend of style and celebrity, broadcasts original programming, exclusive video footage, music videos and red carpet interviews from today's hottest music, film and television stars over a huge wall of monitors in Wet Seal stores nationwide. To date, Wet Seal has partnered with Michelle Branch (Maverick Records), The Goo Goo Dolls (Warner Bros.), Dropline (Reprise Records, a subsidiary of Warner Bros.) and No Doubt (Interscope).

Wet Seal, founded in Southern California in 1962, is one of the largest national mall-based specialty retailers of young women's apparel, operating 588 retail stores in 45 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. The company's website, www.wetseal.com, offers e-tail, fashion trend reports and more.

FYE (for your entertainment) is the latest exciting retail concept from Trans World Entertainment (NASDAQ:TWMC) with more than 700 stores coast-to-coast offering music, movies, games and more. As one of the nation's leaders in entertainment retail, Trans World has been innovating the ways people shop for, access and enjoy entertainment for nearly 30 years.

Note to Editors: MINI and MINI-Cooper are registered trademarks of BMW N.A. LLC. All right reserved. MINI, a division of BMW N.A. LLC, does not support or endorse this promotion.