Precision Merchandising -- Improving Profitability Through Laser-Like Targeting

Aberdeen, a Harte-Hanks Company (NYSE: HHS), is pleased to announce the publication of a new report which takes a look at the pressures being brought to bear upon retailers to produce personalized, customized assortments for their customers, and how Best-in-Class retailers achieve this, thus increasing market share.

The report, titled "Precision Merchandising: Improving Profitability through Laser-like Targeting," will take a deep look at the influences driving the need for more personalized customer assortments, examine what tools are available for retailers to meet this need, and what roadmap should be follow to most effectively bring Precision Merchandising into the overall merchandising strategy. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5365.

The report outlines a clear delineation of the disconnect between shoppers' needs and expectations, and what retailers are currently able to deliver, and how this disconnect presents an exciting opportunity for forward-thinking retailers. The report will show how in 2008, profitable, desirable, net-savvy customers want and expect their merchandise, across all selling channels, to be more personalized and better suited to their needs and lifestyle. As a result, Best-in-Class companies are leveraging business analytics to derive multi-attribute, affinity-based "Precision Assortments." By tailoring assortments to the customers' needs, Best-in-Class retailers are clearly distancing themselves from their competitors.

Key benefits to retailers using Precision Merchandising include the opportunities to:

--  Increase profit through lower markdowns and higher gross margins
--  Engender greater loyalty and brand affinity
--  "Lock in" the lifetime value of these customers
    

A complimentary copy of this report is made available due in part by the following underwriters: Quantivo and Professional Advantage. To obtain a complimentary copy of the report, visit: http://www.aberdeen.com/link/sponsor.asp?cid=5365.

For additional access to complimentary Retail Research, please visit http://research.aberdeen.com/index.php/Retail/.

About Aberdeen Group, a Harte-Hanks Company

Aberdeen is a leading provider of fact-based research and market intelligence that delivers demonstrable results. Having benchmarked more than 30,000 companies in the past two years, Aberdeen is uniquely positioned to educate users to action: driving market awareness, creating demand, enabling sales, and delivering meaningful return-on-investment analysis. As the trusted advisor to the global technology markets, corporations turn to Aberdeen(TM) for insights that drive decisions.

As a Harte-Hanks Company, Aberdeen plays a key role of putting content in context for the global direct and targeted marketing company. Aberdeen's analytical and independent view of the "customer optimization" process of Harte-Hanks (Information - Opportunity - Insight - Engagement - Interaction) extends the client value and accentuates the strategic role Harte-Hanks brings to the market. For additional information, visit Aberdeen http://www.aberdeen.com or call (617) 723-7890, or to learn more about Harte-Hanks, call (800) 456-9748 or go to http://www.harte-hanks.com.

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