Media Briefing Details
 
  WHAT:  BMO Capital Markets Retail Roundtable providing a panel discussion
         of the "Holiday Spending Outlook" with Media Q&A opportunity
 
  WHO:   BMO Capital Markets Consumer Research Analysts:
 
         Wayne Hood, Senior Research Analyst, Broadline Retail, BMO Capital
         Markets (covering: KSS, M, TGT, WMT, and more). Wayne Hood
         comments, "Retail sales continue to show sequential improvement
         against last year's easy sales comparisons; this should continue
         into the all-important Holiday Season. ... We look for on-line
         sales to significantly outpace overall sales, as well as,
         "aggressive door-buster and two-for-one promotions" around key
         items over Black Friday. In apparel and dry grocery, sales of
         private/exclusive label merchandise are likely to continue to see
         stronger results than branded merchandise as consumers continue to
         gravitate to value."
 
         Gerrick Johnson, Senior Research Analyst, Toys, BMO Capital
         Markets (covering: HAS, JAKK, MAT and more). Gerrick Johnson notes
         "Retailers have been managing inventory tightly. Meanwhile,
         consumers have begun their holiday shopping, but appear to be
         sticking to the promotions and advertised items."
 
         Connie Maneaty, Senior Research Analyst, Personal Care and
         Household Products, BMO Capital Markets (covering: AVP, EL, REV,
         and more). Connie Maneaty comments, "Consumer packaged goods
         companies have managed costs tightly all year, with most of the
         recent earnings upside deriving more from financial discipline
         than from sales growth. Their approach to the holiday season is
         cautious, but we think the purse strings are loosening.
         Advertising (and promotion) may have an impact on holiday
         shopping, but importantly, set the stage for a more sustained, if
         gradual recovery in 2010."
 
         John D. Morris, Senior Research Analyst, Apparel Retail, BMO
         Capital Markets (covering: ANF, ARO, GPS, JCG, and more). John
         Morris states "Retailers are reaching for the promotional lever a
         little earlier this season and we expect managements to curb their
         enthusiasm for Holiday '09 on upcoming Q3 conference calls. The
         BMO Sale Rack Index continues to run about 5-10% above last year.
         We would expect promotional activity to escalate in the remaining
         two weeks of November, given the month's slow start and
         unseasonably warm weather."
 
  WHEN:  Wednesday, November 18, 2009
         11:00 a.m. (EDT)
 
  Contact Kevin Windorf or Holly Holt to register/receive dial-in
  information.
 
  About BMO Capital Markets
 

BMO Capital Markets is a leading full-service North American financial services provider, with over 2,200 employees operating in 14 North American offices and 27 worldwide, offering corporate, institutional and government clients access to a complete range of investment and corporate banking products and services. BMO Capital Markets is a member of BMO Financial Group (NYSE, TSX: BMO), one of the largest diversified financial services providers in North America with US$385 billion total assets and 37,000 employees as at July 31, 2009.

Source: BMO Bank of Montreal