Pharmacy Chain 36.6 will join NRF - the leading international retail association

Pharmacy Chain 36.6 is the first Russian to join National Retail Federation

[MICEX: RU14APTK1007; RTS: aptk]

7 December 2004 — Moscow — Pharmacy Chain 36.6, Russia’s top health and beauty retailer, announced today that it has joined the National Retail Federation (NRF). The NRF is the world’s largest retail trade association and one of the most influential business groups in the USA. 

“We are very pleased and fortunate to add Pharmacy Chain 36.6 to our diverse group of retail members," said NRF President and CEO Tracy Mullin.  “NRF represents the very best of the global retail landscape and Pharmacy Chain 36.6 continues that tradition.”

“It’s an honor to join such a powerful and influential group of retail professionals. I believe that this is an excellent opportunity to represent the interests of the Russian retail industry, one of the fastest growing in the world,” noted Artem Bektemirov.  “I fully expect to learn more about NRF’s broad experience in industry consolidation and development, as well as public policy, technology and other best practices.”

The National Retail Federation’s membership is comprised of all retail formats and channels of distribution including department, specialty, discount, catalog, Internet and independent stores as well as the industry’s key trading partners of retail goods and services.  NRF represents an industry with more than 1.4 million U.S. retail establishments, more than 23 million employees — about one in five American workers — and 2003 sales of $3.8 trillion.   NRF embraces the world renowned retailers such as Walgreens, Boots, Wal*mart, Armani America, Metro AG, Starbucks Coffee Company, Virgin Entertainment Group.
 
For more information on NRF visit: http://www.nrf.com.

OJSC Pharmacy Chain 36.6 is the first publicly listed national health and beauty retailer with admission for trading on MICEX and RTS. The company currently operates over 230 stores in Moscow, Moscow region, Republic of Bashkortostan, Murmansk, Saint-Petersburg, Voronezh, and Nizhny Novgorod. Veropharm, the company’s generics subsidiary, is Russia’s third largest manufacturer by output (according to “Remedium”). OJSC Pharmacy Chain 36.6 daughter Company Apteki 36.6 is a member and one of the founders of Russian Association of Pharmacy Chains (RAPC). OJSC Pharmacy Chain 36.6 employs over 6000 people.

Some of the information contained in this press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or the future financial performance of Pharmacy Chain 36.6 OJSC, as defined in the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  We wish to caution you that these statements are only predictions and, those actual events or results may differ materially. We do not intend to update these statements to conform them to actual results. We refer you to the documents Pharmacy Chain 36.6 OJSC files from time to time with the Russian Federal Securities Commission. These documents contain and identify important factors. These factors could cause the actual results to differ materially from those contained in our projections or forward-looking statements, including, among others, potential fluctuations in quarterly results, and risks associated with our competitive environment, acquisition strategy, ability to develop new products or maintain market share, brand and company image, operating in Russia, volatility of stock price, financial risk management, and future growth.