Neuwied/Bruchsal, Germany. RegioGraph won first place in the "Top Retail Product of 2010" competition held by the trade journal handelsjournal. Readers were charged with voting for the best products for managing retail operations. The geomarketing software RegioGraph received the top prize in the process optimization category.

Amidst stagnating turnover, increasing competition, smaller margins and diminishing returns, retail management is currently under tremendous pressure to increase efficiency, conserve resources and better realize turnover potential. Retail companies consequently rely heavily on innovative products to meet these needs. Fourteen such products were short-listed for the handelsjournal'’s "Top Retail Product of 2010" competition.

Readers bestowed gold on the geomarketing planning tool RegioGraph in the process optimization category. A product of the Germany-based company GfK GeoMarketing GmbH, RegioGraph is used in conjunction with GfK market data to facilitate more efficient customer acquisition and market development.

"Our many users in the retail sector, from heads of sales and marketing to expansion planners, controllers and managers, confirm that RegioGraph plays a decisive role in their success by bringing efficiency and transparency to their regional markets," comments Doris Hardt-Beischl, head of sales at GfK GeoMarketing. "We're delighted that readers of the handelsjournal clearly appreciate the value of geomarketing solutions such as software and regional market data."

GfK GeoMarketing anticipates that 2010 will not be an easy year for many companies in the retail sector. The branch faces significant challenges, including turnover declines in the wake of the financial crisis, demographic shifts, a revolution in production processes, logistics and retail concepts as well as fierce competition through globalized markets.

"Due to these challenges, we're going to really concentrate on offering specialized solutions and consultancy to retail companies in 2010," adds Hardt-Beischl. "RegioGraph's winning of the 'Top Retail Product of 2010' award naturally provides additional motivation."

Existing and prospective customers have numerous opportunities to get a close-up glimpse of how geomarketing can help them achieve their company goals. GfK GeoMarketing will be presenting the latest version of RegioGraph at the CeBIT and EuroCIS trade fairs in the beginning of March. Also featured will be new maps, up-to-date data on regional market potential and Europe-wide analysis options.

Appointments can be made by contacting GfK GeoMarketing at +49 (0)7251 9295170 or
www.gfk-geomarketing.com/fairs.

About RegioGraph
RegioGraph allows retail companies to visualize their customers, target groups and potential on up-to-date digital maps and then analyze this information using integrated data on regional market potential such as GfK Purchasing Power. RegioGraph includes features such as street-level address visualization, professional sales territory planning tools (including zone calculation) and a fast, user-friendly interface. GfK GeoMarketing offers both a German and English version of the software. With GfK GeoMarketing's cartographic coverage of more than 240 countries, RegioGraph gives globally active retail companies comprehensive support for their expansion, sales, marketing and controlling activities.

The combination of RegioGraph and regionalized GfK market data offers retail companies an indispensable resource. GfK GeoMarketing provides a comprehensive spectrum of market data, including GfK Purchasing Power and data on target groups and point-of-sale turnover. The data can be obtained for specific products and down to the level of street segments. Together with RegioGraph, these GfK market datasets support companies in the analysis of market share, expansion into new markets and planning of branch locations.

With more than 40,000 users, RegioGraph is Germany's geomarketing solution of choice. Quick and powerful, RegioGraph offers users a comprehensive range of easy-to-use functions as well as digital maps and market data for professional geomarketing. The competitively priced software includes all maps and GfK Purchasing Power data for a European country of choice.

GfK GeoMarketing also supports users with software training courses, consultancy services for sales territory and branch network planning and a free user hotline.

Additional information on RegioGraph can be found at www.gfk-regiograph.com.

Illustrations
Print-quality illustrations of RegioGraph and the "Top Retail Product of 2010" logo can be found at www.gfk-geomarketing.com/graphics_topproduct.


About the handelsjournal
The handelsjournal delivers monthly, practice-oriented information on the economic and political issues that drive the retail sector. The handelsjournal provides a forum for the insights of the German Trade Association (Handelsverband Deutschland) and its contributing members and experts. This "economic magazine for the retail trade" further serves as a platform for dialogue between retail companies of all sizes and branches, suppliers and service providers. The handelsjournal has a circulation of approximately 52,000 copies.

More information can be found at www.handelsjournal.de.

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About GfK GeoMarketing

GfK GeoMarketing is one of the largest providers of geomarketing services in Europe for customers and users from all branches of trade. Key business areas include:

• Consultancy
• Market data
• Digital maps
• Geomarketing software RegioGraph

The company is a subsidiary of the globally active GfK Group. Ranked fourth among the world's market research institutes, the GfK is represented in 100 countries with over 150 subsidiaries and 10,000 employees.

The GfK GeoMarketing press newsletter is published by:

GfK GeoMarketing GmbH,
Germany
www.gfk-geomarketing.com

Press Information:
Cornelia Lichtner
Public Relations
Tel. +49 (0)7251 9295 270
Fax +49 (0)7251 9295 290
c.lichtner@gfk-geomarketing.com

Management Board: Olaf Petersen, Wolfram Scholz, Dr. Eberhard Stegner
Amtsgericht Mannheim, HRB 250872

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