Shoppers Can Take Advantage of Program at JEWEL-OSCO Stores

(Itasca, Ill.) March 18, 2010 – Today JEWEL-OSCO announces the return of its refund rewards program designed to help consumers save money and stretch their grocery budgets. The program, which runs from March 18 to April 15, gives shoppers’ grocery budgets a boost by adding up to an additional 10 percent value on a grocery gift card purchased during tax season.

Under the refund rewards program, customers who purchase a $250 or $300 JEWEL-OSCO gift card will get another $20 or $30 added to the card, respectively. The refund rewards gift cards are available at the customer service counter at JEWEL-OSCO stores. Customers can use their tax refunds or any accepted form of payment to purchase the grocery gift cards.

The program comes at a time when shoppers continue to look for ways to trim costs and effectively
manage their household budgets. According to the BIGresearch American Pulse Survey from Feb. 4,
2010, an overwhelming majority (84.5 percent) of Americans say that the recession is not over1. In
addition, 60 percent of consumers said they’ll continue looking for deals when the recession ends,
and 92 percent indicate that value will continue to be of equal or greater importance in food shopping,
according to a September 2009 IBM study2.

“We are continuing to look for ways to provide our customers with value,” said JEWEL-OSCO
President Keith Nielsen. “At a time when many shoppers are watching their budgets, we want to do
something more to help them save. The refund rewards program will help shoppers stock their
cupboards and feed their families for less. It’s another way of rewarding and thanking our customers
for their business.”

Grocery gift card purchases may not exceed $1,250 per household, not including the bonus amount.
Bonus amounts cannot be used for the purchase of alcohol, fuel, tobacco, lottery tickets, dairy
products, prescription drugs or additional gift cards.

In addition to the refund rewards program, JEWEL-OSCO is helping consumers stretch their budgets
in a number of other ways, including by expanding its selection of private label brands to provide
consumers more cost-effective options throughout the store. Among JEWEL-OSCO’s private-label
brands are WholeCare™ Pet, a new brand of products designed to keep shoppers’ dogs and cats
happy and healthy; baby basics®, a line that features more than 80 products for babies and toddlers,
ranging from diapers and training pants to formula and pediatric drinks to shampoos, lotions and
wipes, at prices that make moms smile; wild harvest®, a line of organic and natural products that
includes dairy, eggs, fresh produce, meats and dry grocery items such as pasta and sauces, cookies,
crackers and cereal; Culinary Circle™, a line of restaurant-quality food that ranges from on-the-go
meals, frozen prepared foods and specialty meats and cheeses to premium desserts and artisan
breads; and Shoppers Value®, JEWEL-OSCO’s value brand of everyday items and family staples for
price-sensitive shoppers.