In Weak Economy, Club Stores Enjoy Increased Traffic

                   - Upscale Consumers Leading the Way -



    NEW YORK, Aug. 20 /EMWNews/ -- As the economy has weakened, traffic

at club stores targeting the budget-conscious shopper has grown faster than

the U.S. population, with upscale consumers driving the increase, according

to new data from Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI).



    The number of people who shopped at club stores such as Costco, B.J.'s

and Sam's Club increased 3.6% from September 2006 to April 2008, while the

total adult population increased just over 1% in the same time period,

according to MRI's Survey of the American Consumer. Moreover, club store

shoppers with household incomes of $75,000 annually grew almost 12% in the

same time period.








                   CLUB STORE SHOPPERS vs. ADULT POPULATION



                                           % Increase

                                          '08 vs. '07



    Total U.S. Adults                         1.2 %

    Total Club Store Shoppers                 3.6 %

    Club Store Shoppers w/ HHI > $75k        11.9 %



    Source: Spring 2007 & Spring 2008 MRI Survey of the American Consumer.

    Field Dates: September 2006-April 2007 & September 2007-April 2008



    Almost four in 10 U.S. adults (39%) say they shopped at club stores in

the last 6 months. Who are these frugal consumers? Not only is the recent

growth in club store traffic driven by upscale consumers, club store

shoppers are quite upscale in general. For instance, consumers who shopped

in a club store in the last six months are 38% more likely than the average

adult to have household incomes of $75,000 or greater; they are 26% more

likely to have graduated college; and they are 32% more likely to hold

management, business or financial operations occupations.



    Being a parent is also a significant influence in shopping in club

stores, as parents are 9% more likely than the population as a whole to

have shopped in this type of store in the last 6 months.








                             CLUB STORE SHOPPERS



    Adults who Shopped at Club Stores in past 6 months.    86.458 Million

    Percent of Total U.S. Adult Population                 38.9 %





                           Profile of Club Shoppers

                                                              % More (Less)

                                                               Likely than

                                                 % of Total      Average

                                                    Club        U.S. Adult

                                                  Shoppers        to...



    HHI $75,000 or more                             49.4           +38 %

    HHI $75,000 or less                             50.6           -21 %

    College Graduate

     (obtained Bachelor's Degree or higher)         32.7           +26 %

    HS Graduate and/or Some College                 56.4            -4 %

    Occupation: Management,

     business & financial operations                12.9           +32 %

    Parents (of children still living

     with respondent)                               37.3            +9 %



    Source: Spring 2008 MRI Survey of the American Consumer.

    Field Dates: September 2007-April 2008.



    "Upscale consumers have always been a large part of club stores'

customer base. It's now clear that a greater number of affluent consumers

are being careful with their hard-earned dollars during this economic

downturn," said Anne Marie Kelly, Vice President of Marketing and Strategic

Planning at MRI. "Marketers may wish to take note that price-sensitive

strategies and messages will increasingly resonate with even the

well-heeled."

    About MRI...



    Founded in 1979, MRI interviews approximately 26,000 U.S. adults in

their homes each year, asking about their use of media, their consumption

of products and their lifestyles and attitudes.



    MRI is the country's leading provider of magazine audience and

multimedia research data. The company releases data from Survey of the

American Consumer (adults 18+) twice yearly, in the spring and fall. MRI

data have become the basic media-planning currency for the majority of the

media plans that are created each year by national advertisers and their

agencies. The company's 26,000 in-home interviews each year represent the

biggest survey of its kind.



    MRI is part of GfK Group AG, Nuremberg, Germany. For more information,

please visit http://www.mediamark.com/.