May 13, 2005 - For Immediate Release (for Business Editors)

GRAPETTE INTERNATIONAL, INC. AND WAL-MART TEAM UP TO BRING BACK A NOSTALGIC FAVORITE
Contact: Thoma Thoma Public Relations Department (501) 664-5672 or TTPR@thomathoma.com

Malvern, Ark. - Memories made, fade and are found again. You could say that's the very short version of this nostalgic, interesting and fascinating business story. And the vision of the world's largest retailer has made this story end with a splashy, "It's Back!"

Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton wanted this soda in his stores as early as the mid-1980s. Now through the innovative efforts of Wal-Mart executives following in his footsteps, the vintage taste of Grapette and Orangette soda will be reintroduced to the masses of 1950s baby boomers who remember it well. To today's "retro-geared" public it is now known as Sam's Choice Grapette and Sam's Choice Orangette and is available at all Wal-Mart locations in cans and two liter bottles. The same Grapette and Orangette names - the same great tastes customers grew to love years ago.

The story of the soft drinks' incredible path from a tiny Arkansas town to the Wal-Mart shelves is a nostalgic pursuit and a great case study of the enduring value of a brand.

"To this day, we get e-mails with wonderful stories about childhood memories associated with Grapette," said Paul Rice, president of Grapette International, Inc. "Now with U.S. distribution exclusively through Wal-Mart stores, the brand that has been around since the 1940s will be re-introduced to the American consumer. No other company could possibly offer the distribution level that Wal-Mart brings to the table."

"Wal-Mart saw the value of the authentic formula and the lasting quality of its brand and re-introduced it under the Sam's Choice label," said Rice. "The consumers who have remembered us through the years, Wal-Mart, and Grapette International, Inc. are all winners in the co-branding effort."

"Bringing our customers quality selections is the focus of the Sam's Choice brand," said DeDe Priest, Wal-Mart vice president of Supercenter food division. "The history of Grapette and Orangette shows us there's a demand for these items and we're proud to offer them to Wal-Mart customers to enjoy and share with a new generation who have missed these offerings the first time around."

So what's the fascinating story behind this "retro" product making it to your local Wal-Mart?

It all began with Benjamin "Tyndle" Fooks of Camden, Arkansas, who introduced Grapette soda in the late 1930s. By the mid-1950s Grapette was the seventh best selling soft drink in the U.S., exceeding all other grape flavored soft drinks. Part of the charm of the product was the drink's deep purple color.

The Grapette Company was later sold and through a series of acquisitions became controlled by the manufacturer of a rival grape drink in the late 1970s. Sadly, the soda so beloved by so many kids and adults from the 40s, 50s and 60s essentially vanished from the U.S. market. When the Grapette Company was sold, Grapette International, Inc. continued production of the original formulas in the U.S. and focused on selling its products overseas in Latin America, the Caribbean and Pacific Rim countries.

There are many other business twists and turns in addition to the development of foreign markets - including the celebrated regaining of the Grapette brand by the company and the influence of Sam Walton, David Glass and others at Wal-Mart who championed its return before Grapette and Orangette finally made it to Wal-Mart shelves.

As they say, "The rest is history." And for Grapette soft drink, that history spans more than 65 years.

For more information about Grapette International, Inc., visit www.grapette.com.