Costco Turns to Creative Channel Services to Enhance Shopper Experience and In-Store Training Capabilities

LOS ANGELES, Feb. 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Creative Channel Services (CCS), a leading shopper marketing agency, today announced that Costco Wholesale has joined its growing list of retail partners that leverage the agency's CyberScholar Retail Network to increase in-store product knowledge and enhance shopper experiences.  The warehouse retailer has integrated CCS' CyberScholar portal into its U.S. employee development strategies for consumer electronics (CE) product lines.

The recently launched program provides Costco's employees with easy access to learning modules from a growing list of manufacturers in the camera, GPS, home theater, television, printer and video categories through one convenient, password-protected CyberScholar @ Costco internet portal.  As a major component of the warehouse retailer's learning program, CyberScholar will help Costco employees in 414 U.S. stores to deliver knowledgeable customer service to members.

CyberScholar is the leading online information resource in the retail industry.  Each year through CyberScholar, thousands of retail-floor associates nationwide pass millions of courses from leading manufacturers to increase their product knowledge and deliver great shopping experiences.

"Creative Channel Services is proud to deliver our CyberScholar Retail Network product-knowledge resources to Costco employees," said Andy Restivo, CEO and president of CCS.  "This partnership is a win-win-win as the benefits extend from manufacturers to Costco's employees and, most importantly, to Costco members."

About Costco Wholesale Corporation

Costco Wholesale Corporation currently operates 567 warehouses, including 414 in the United States and Puerto Rico, 77 in Canada, 21 in the United Kingdom, seven in Korea, six in Taiwan, nine in Japan, one in Australia and 32 in Mexico.  The Company also operates Costco Online, an electronic commerce web site, at www.costco.com and at www.costco.ca in Canada.

About Creative Channel Services, LLC

Creative Channel Services (CCS) is a leading retail marketing agency that improves sales and profitability for our manufacturer and retailer clients.  Through the company's proprietary CyberScholar Retail Network®, exclusive retail partnerships, and national field marketing programs, CCS' unique approach to in-store marketing solutions accelerates client sales performance by connecting brands with 15,000 stores and 200,000 plus retail professionals who recommend and sell products to up to 3,000,000 customers each day.  Established in 1995 and headquartered in Los Angeles, CCS is a part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC) (www.omnicomgroup.com), a leading global advertising, marketing and corporate communications company.  Omnicom's branded networks and numerous specialty firms provide advertising, strategic media planning and buying, digital and interactive, direct and promotional marketing, public relations and other specialty communications services to over 5,000 clients in more than 100 countries.

SOURCE Creative Channel Services