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The May Department Stores Company Announces Purchase of Gingiss Formalwear ST. LOUIS, Dec. 29 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The May Department Stores Company today announced the purchase of certain assets of the Gingiss Group in a cash transaction. May is acquiring 125 company-owned Gingiss Formalwear and Gary's Tux Shop stores and two Gingiss Group service centers located in Addison, Ill., and Van Nuys, Calif. Gingiss is a leading national tuxedo rental and sales retailer, based in Addison, Ill. May will operate the Gingiss and Gary's Tux stores as part of its Bridal Group, which includes David's Bridal, Priscilla of Boston and After Hours Formalwear. "We are pleased that Gingiss is joining our growing national network of Bridal Group businesses and will help contribute to May's pursuit of younger customers," said Gene Kahn, May's chairman and chief executive officer. "May's bridal business has great synergy. The links between our Bridal Group businesses and our department stores' wedding registries are critical to our strategy of attracting young-adult customers to our department stores and especially to our home stores." Robert Huth, head of May's Bridal Group and president and chief executive officer of David's Bridal, said, "We continue to make strategic acquisitions that expand our national presence. Acquiring Gingiss further enhances our ability to serve engaged couples by creating a premier chain of tuxedo stores which will complement David's Bridal." During 2003, May acquired 225 tuxedo stores, including 125 Gingiss Formalwear and Gary's Tux Shop stores, 25 Modern Tuxedo stores, and 64 Desmonds Formalwear stores. In addition, May's Bridal Group has opened 30 David's Bridal stores and nine After Hours Formalwear stores to date this year. The May Department Stores Company now will operate 448 department stores under the names of Lord & Taylor, Famous-Barr, Filene's, Foley's, Hecht's, Kaufmann's, L.S. Ayres, Meier & Frank, Robinsons-May, Strawbridge's, and The Jones Store, as well as 210 David's Bridal stores, 462 After Hours Formalwear stores, and 10 Priscilla of Boston stores. May operates in 46 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. DATASOURCE: May Department Stores Company CONTACT: Sharon Bateman of May Department Stores Company, +1-314-342-6494

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