Canadian Tire Acceptance Limited Chooses Acxiom To Enhance Marketing Database Capabilities

    LITTLE ROCK, Ark.--Jan. 26, 2001--Acxiom(R) Corporation , the global leader in Customer Data Integration (CDI), today announced an agreement with Canadian Tire Acceptance, Limited (CTAL), a division of Canadian Tire Corporation , to provide the financial organization with a broad range of database marketing, data management and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) services.
    In its first such agreement with a Canadian company, Acxiom, will provide its Solvitur(R) Market Management solution to help CTAL enhance its enterprise-wide customer data infrastructure. CTAL currently provides a variety of credit and other financial services to more than six million Canadian Tire customers.
    "Past database projects were expensive compared to our expectations and lacked the analytical tools and ease of access required by CTAL's marketing professionals," said CTAL President Tom Gauld. "We believe Acxiom's proven marketplace expertise combined with its dedicated resources for project management and overall system support will provide a clear opportunity for success and produce system performance and benefits consistent with CTAL's requirements."
    Acxiom's Solvitur technology will provide CTAL with a scaleable, open-architecture system using best-of -breed server systems, access and analytical tools, delivering accelerated results, maximized investment and minimized risk. Acxiom will also complement the CTAL team with its experts in marketing campaign strategies and tactics, analysis, decision support, postal services, data acquisition and management. In addition, Acxiom will leverage extensive industry experience and tools to deliver value-added solutions in such areas as data products, data integration, data quality and unique modeling methodologies for the financial services and retail industries.
    "We're excited about this opportunity to work with CTAL in building their new `best of breed' marketing database," said Charles D. Morgan, Acxiom's Company Leader. Morgan also cited the similarities in the business cultures found at Acxiom and Canadian Tire Corporation. Acxiom was recently recognized by Fortune magazine as one of the best "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" and by Computerworld magazine as one of the "Top 100 Places to Work in Information Technology." Canadian Tire has been recognized by Canada's The Globe and Mail as the "Best Company to Work for in Canada." Canadian Tire ranked number one in the line-up of Canada's 35 best companies to work for.

    About Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited

    Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited -- the country's most-shopped retailer -- offers a unique mix of products and services through three distinct, yet inter-related businesses. Canadian Tire Retail and the Associate Dealers together form one of Canada's best-known and most successful retailers, offering customers the convenience and leadership of three specialty stores under one roof -- Automotive, Sports and Leisure, and Home Products. Canadian Tire Financial Services manages related financial products and services for retail and petroleum customers, and also markets other value-added products to its customers. Canadian Tire Petroleum is one of the country's largest independent retailers of gasoline, with 205 outlets. With 438 Canadian Tire Associate Stores serving communities nationwide, Canadian Tire Corporation, Limited and the Associate Dealers together employ more than 38,000 Canadians.

    About Acxiom

    Acxiom Corporation, the global leader in real-time, multi-channel Customer Data Integration, enables businesses to develop and deepen customer relationships by creating a single, accurate view of their customers across the enterprise. Acxiom achieves this by providing Customer Data Integration software, database management services, and premier customer data content through its AbiliTec(TM), Solvitur(R) and InfoBase(R) products, while also offering a broad range of information technology outsourcing services. Founded in 1969, Acxiom is based in Little Rock, Arkansas, with locations throughout the United States and with operations in the United Kingdom, France, Spain and Australia. Acxiom revenues were $1.06 billion for the 12 months ended December 31, 2000. For more information, please visit www.acxiom.com.

    The discussion in this release regarding Acxiom Corporation contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including risks detailed from time to time in the company's SEC reports. Actual results may differ materially. Acxiom undertakes no obligation to publicly release any revision to any forward-looking statement to reflect any future events or circumstances.
    Acxiom, InfoBase and Solvitur are registered trademarks of Acxiom, RTC, Inc. AbiliTec is a trademark of Acxiom Corporation.