GT Nexus Announces Charming Shoppes Renews and Expands with Import Operating Platform

Oakland, CA -- December 8, 2009 -- GT Nexus today announced that Charming Shoppes, Inc. (Nasdaq: CHRS) has renewed and expanded its commitment to using a GT Nexus Web-based data platform for its import management. Delivered via the software as a service (SaaS) model, the GT Nexus platform supports and automates a range of processes for the retailer, including item-level visibility, air and sea freight contracting, Customs documentation, and performance analytics.

Headquartered in Bensalem, PA, Charming Shoppes, Inc. is a leading multi-brand specialty apparel retailer specializing primarily in women's plus-size apparel. Charming Shoppes is the parent company of three distinct store brands - Lane Bryant, Fashion Bug, and Catherines Plus Sizes; with Outlet stores under the Lane Bryant label. With more than 2,200 stores in 48 states and $2.5 billion in fiscal 2008 annual sales, the company is the third-largest women's specialty apparel retailer in the United States, as measured by store units.

Laurie Everill, Director of International Trade, Logistics and Compliance at Charming Shoppes, Inc., commented, “For the past few years, we have relied on the GT Nexus system to provide the visibility and control necessary to manage our import operations. We have a great foundation in place which we plan to build out and leverage further across our operation, including expansion of capabilities into automated freight audit and actual landed cost calculation.”

“Charming Shoppes has import automation capabilities that most retailers dream about,” said Greg Johnsen, EVP and co-founder at GT Nexus. “Few companies can instantly locate the status of any item by size, color, or style like Charming can today. We look forward to continuing to help them with such capabilities.”

The platform includes an import data hub that captures and standardizes information about inventory and shipments, fed into the system electronically from other systems run by partners in the supply chain. The data is then used to populate a suite of Web applications that, in turn, automate key import processes as well as interface data with internal mainframe based systems. Capabilities of the Charming Shoppes’ platform include:

- Item level visibility at the bill of lading, container, purchase order, SKU, size, color, and/or style level
- Customs document creation
- Ocean and Air freight contracting and spend management
- Import performance analytics and reports