CONNECTICUT RETAIL MERCHANTS ASSOCIATION NAMES
STEW LEONARD'S 2008 RETAILER OF THE YEAR

HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 6, 2008 -- The Connecticut Retail Merchants Association (CRMA) announced today that Stew Leonard's has been named the 2008 Retailer of the Year.

The Retailer of the Year award is given annually by the CRMA to a retailer that demonstrates the highest level of integrity and success in marketing, customer service, employee relations and community service. The winner is determined by a peer nomination and review process. Members of the CRMA board review the nominations and conduct onsite interviews with the nominees, and then vote to determine the winner.

"We are extremely excited and proud to announce that Stew Leonard's is our 2008 Retailer of the Year," said CRMA President Tim Phelan. "They are a great Connecticut retailer, and have achieved tremendous success by consistently working at giving their customers the best shopping experience along with outstanding value and first rate customer service. In addition, their contributions to the community are marked by the countless causes they support and the high visibility in the markets they are in."

"For someone who learned about retailing at the dining room table and by working at the store as a kid, this is a real honor for me," said president and CEO Stew Leonard, Jr.

CRMA will present the award to Stew Leonard, Jr. at its annual awards luncheon being held on November 13 at the Bushnell Theater in Hartford, Connecticut. In addition to the awards luncheon, CRMA will host a legislative panel discussion prior to the luncheon with four top legislative leaders. That discussion will begin at 10:00 a.m. and will also be held at the Bushnell in Hartford. Stew Leonard, Jr. will give a short speech at the awards luncheon about the three most important things he's learned about retailing.

For more information about the luncheon, please call CRMA’s office at 860.527.1044.

The Connecticut Retailer of the Year award was started in 1996. Previous winners include:

• Michaels Jewelers, Waterbury (2007)
• Zane's World Famous Cycles, Branford (2006)
• North Cove Outfitters, Old Saybrook (2005)
• Stackpole Moore Tyron, Hartford (2004)
• Bob's Discount Furniture, Manchester (2003)
• Bernie's, Enfield (2002)
• Ethan Allen Corp, Danbury (2001)
• Mitchells, Westport (2000)

CRMA is a statewide trade association that represents the retailers at state capitol in the marketplace. The association currently has 350 members representing more than 2,000 stores throughout the state, including some of the world's largest retailers as well as the state’s main street merchants. To learn more about CRMA, visit www.crmaonline.com.

Stew Leonard's, a family-owned and operated fresh food store founded in 1969, has four stores in Norwalk, Danbury, and Newington, Conn. and Yonkers, N.Y.. The company was named among FORTUNE magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work for in America" for the past seven consecutive years. For more information, visit Stew Leonard's website at www.stewleonards.com.