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    WAL-MART ONLY RETAIL WINNER THIS BLEAK CHRISTMAS SHOPPING SEASON

    Charleston, SC, December 23, 2008... C. Britt Beemer, CEO and Founder of America's Research Group (ARG), issued his 2008 "Winners and Losers" list of retailers today with Wal-Mart securely in first place, but a number of well-knowns at the bottom of the list, following the sixth and final America's Research Group/UBS Christmas 2008 Survey this weekend. The "Winners and Losers" are determined by how well they did in retaining Christmas customers from last year.

    "Wal-Mart continued to dominate shopping this year while other Star Performers from last year, Costco, JCPenney and Barnes & Noble, fell short," Beemer said. "According to these data, a number of major names, such as Macy's, are in trouble over the long run and we will undoubtedly see more retail bankruptcies in the New Year," he added.

    All in all, it was a lackluster weekend with only 38.7% of shoppers out just before Christmas, the lowest number in the six years since the question was asked in ARG Christmas surveys. Again this weekend, Wal-Mart led stores shopped, attracting over two thirds of consumers:
    • Wal-Mart - 69.0% (33.0% in 2007)
    • Target - 21.0% (16.8% in 2007)
    • Sears - 17.1% (20.4% in 2007)
    • JCPenney - 15.1% (20.7% in 2007)
    • Best Buy - 14.2% (12.9% in 2007)
    • Toys R Us - 13.4% (12.6% in 2007)
    There's very little joy left for retailers this season. A large majority (68.5%) of shoppers are 90% or more done with shopping this year, the highest level since 2002. A greater number of parents are finished with children's gifts (74.8%), the highest level since 2003.

    Gift cards as a category are down to 51.5%, the lowest level since 2005. Only 11.8% of parents, compared with 26.3% in 2007, said that they bought gift cards for their children this Christmas as there was no "must have" gift.

    The top gifts this Christmas are:
    • Toys - 34.7% (36.1% in 2007)
    • Electronics - 26.8% (23.9% in 2007)
    • Children's Clothes - 26.7% (15.9% in 2007)
    • Video Games - 18.1% (15.3% in 2007)
    • Gift Cards - 12.0% (23.8% in 2007)
    The top gifts at Wal-Mart this year are:
    • Toys - 44.3% (45.8% in 2007)
    • Children's Clothes - 26.5% (14.2% in 2007)
    • Video Games - 22.5% (16.2% in 2007)
    • Electronics - 19.5% (18.0% in 2007)
    • DVDs - 15.8% (15.9% in 2007)

    ARG/UBS Winners and Losers 2008:
    STAR PERFORMERS – keeping 90% or more of their Christmas shoppers coming back this season:
    • Wal-Mart - 91.2%
    STRONG PERFORMANCE - keeping 80% to 89% of their Christmas shoppers:
    • Books A Million - 80.0%
    ABOVE AVERAGE TO GOOD - keeping 70% to 79% of their Christmas shoppers:
    • Target - 79.1%
    • JCPenney - 79.0%
    • Old Navy - 78.9%
    • Best Buy - 78.3%
    • Big Lots - 78.0%
    • The Gap - 75.4%
    • TJ Maxx - 74.8%
    • Home Depot - 74.6%
    • Kmart - 73.2%
    • Borders - 73.0%
    • Kohl's - 72.2%
    • Sears - 71.0%
    • Toys R Us - 70.8%
    • Barnes & Noble - 70.8%
    • Circuit City - 70.7%
    RETAILERS IN TROUBLE - keeping 69% and below of their Christmas shoppers:
    • CVS - 69.8%
    • Costco - 68.1%
    • American Eagle - 67.3%
    • Lowe's - 66.7%
    • Macy's - 65.4%
    • Sam's Club - 65.1%
    • Belk - 64.2%
    • Walgreens - 61.0%
    • Dillard - 55.4%
    • Sports Authority - 51.8%
    The America's Research Group/UBS 2008 Christmas Survey consisted of 1,000 telephone interviews conducted Saturday and Sunday, December 20 and 21, 2008 at ARG headquarters in Charleston, SC. The error factor is plus or minus 3.8%. UBS has teamed with ARG for six surveys this Christmas season.

    America's Research Group is one of the nation's foremost consumer research and strategic marketing firms. CEO Britt Beemer is a key resource and advisor to leading brands and top retailers. He is author of The Customer Rules, a new book published by McGraw-Hill.

    UBS Global Equity Research provides the broad global perspective and in-depth analysis that institutional investors need to make good investment decisions. With more than 600 analysts, associates, strategists and economists in EMEA, APAC and the Americas, UBS covers approximately 85% of the world market capitalization - over 3,300 companies worldwide across 46 different markets. In addition to UBS's disciplined fundamental research, clients also rely on UBS for corporate and expert access to give them the insight they need, when they need it.

    Barbara Burns (212) 486-1140