FOR IMMEDIATE
RELEASE
THE
CHILDREN’S PLACE RETAIL STORES, INC. ANNOUNCES
RELOCATION
OF E-COMMERCE BUSINESS
Secaucus, New Jersey – January 21,
2009 – The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq: PLCE) today
announced that it plans to relocate its rapidly growing e-commerce business from
its Secaucus, New Jersey distribution center to the Company’s Southeast
distribution center in Fort Payne, Alabama in June 2009.
“Our
e-commerce sales increased by approximately 60% this year on top of a 35%
increase last year, and we have outgrown the available space in our Secaucus
headquarters building,” commented Mark Rose, Senior Vice President and Chief
Supply Chain Officer for The Children’s Place. “By moving the
e-commerce business to our Southeast distribution center, we expect to be able
to fully automate our fulfillment operations and have ample room to expand in
the future as the online business continues to grow.”
The
Company announced the move to its e-commerce employees earlier this
week. Approximately 350 positions at the Secaucus facility will be
eliminated by the planned move.
The
Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc. is a leading specialty retailer of
children’s merchandise. The Company designs, contracts to manufacture
and sells high-quality, value-priced merchandise under the proprietary “The
Children’s Place” brand name. As of January 3, 2009, the Company
owned and operated 921 The Children’s Place stores and an online store at www.childrensplace.com.
This press release may contain certain
forward-looking statements regarding future circumstance, including statements
relating to the growth of the e-commerce business. These forward-looking
statements are based upon the Company's current expectations and assumptions and
are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results
to differ materially. Some of these risks and uncertainties are
described in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission,
including in the “Risk Factors” section of its report on Form 10-K. The
following risks and uncertainties could cause actual results, events and performance
to differ materially: the
risk that the Company will be unsuccessful in gauging fashion trends and
changing consumer preferences, the risk resulting from the highly competitive
nature of the Company’s business and its dependence on consumer spending
patterns, which may be affected by the downturn in the economy,
and risks and uncertainties relating to other elements of the
Company’s strategic review. Readers are cautioned not to
place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of
the date they were made. The Company undertakes no obligation to release
publicly any revisions to these forward-looking statements that may be made to
reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the
occurrence of unanticipated events. The inclusion of any statement in this
release does not constitute an admission by the Company or any other person that
the events or circumstances described in such statement are
material.
CONTACT:
The Children’s Place Retail Stores, Inc.
Jane Singer, Vice President,
Investor Relations, (201)
453-6955
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