TIMEX JOINS IGA’S RED OVAL FAMILY

CHICAGO, IL - IGA today announced Timex, the largest selling watch brand in America, has become a Red Oval Family partner for 2004.

IGA’s Red Oval Family is an elite group of national and international manufacturers, suppliers and service providers that provide resources to assist IGA Retailers. As a Red Oval Family partner, Timex will enjoy exclusive benefits, including among others, eligibility for IGA national and regional marketing event sponsorships, invitations to IGA conferences, reduced advertising rates in the award-winning IGA Grocergram magazine, and the opportunity to share insights with IGA Licensed Distribution Centers, Retailers and successful fellow Red Oval Family partners.

Currently, Timex is a sponsor of two IGA marketing events, including Hometown Holidays and the upcoming Hometown Proud event.

"We are extremely pleased to have Timex as a member of our growing family of Red Oval partners,” Thomas Zatina, vice president of Red Oval Family relations said. “This highly respected company recognizes and understands the important role of the independent IGA retailer in today's marketplace. Timex’s immediate participation in two of IGA’s prominent marketing events promises that this will be a long and fruitful partnership.”

“At Timex we see a significant opportunity to grow our brand awareness and extend our consumer access through the IGA network of stores,” Jim Riordan, Timex director-field sales said. “We feel partnering with IGA brings together two strong brand names that, when combined, will create a win-win situation. We've invested in creating an exclusive line tailored to the needs of the grocery channel. This is an opportunity for IGA stores to build incremental profits and bring an additional trusted and recognized brand name to the Red Oval family. We look forward to leveraging the strength of the IGA brand and partnering with innovative merchants found within the IGA organization.”

IGA, the only global supermarketer based in the United States, is the world’s largest voluntary supermarket network with aggregate worldwide retail sales of more than $21 billion per year. The Alliance includes more than 4,000 Hometown Proud Supermarkets worldwide, supported by 36 distribution companies and more the 55 major manufacturers, vendors and suppliers encompassing everything from grocery to equipment items. IGA ranks in the top 10 in world food supermarketing. IGA has operations in 48 of the United States and more than 40 countries, commonwealths and territories on all six inhabited continents.