• Customized inventory in multiple entertainment formats, including about 40,000 book titles, 20,000 music selections, 6,000 videotapes and video games, 800 DVD-format titles, 2,000 periodicals, 1,500 software titles, and 1,500 complementary products, such as clothing, greeting cards and stationery products, for sale at discounted prices;
• Over 15,000 videotapes, video games and DVDs available for rent;
• Extensive children's product section, including free rentals on children's videos and regular StoryTime;
• Financial commitment to the literacy campaign in the local community;
• Employment for about 45 to 50 associates, primarily from the Rocky Mount area.

Hastings developed the entertainment superstore format in 1991 and since then has steadily and profitably built its store base to 131 superstores located primarily in small to medium-sized markets in 19 Midwestern and Western states. With its stores averaging 21,200 square feet, Hastings has almost 2.8 million square feet of retail space under lease. The company plans to have about 170 superstores open by the end of fiscal 2000.

"Whether our customers are browsing for a special book, sampling the latest music in the broad genre offering, selecting a current periodical or simply searching for a rental video for a comfortable evening at home, we have it all in one location," said John H. Marmaduke, chairman and chief executive officer. "We are totally committed to satisfying our guests' desires for personal entertainment and information, and that concern is reflected in every store we open."

Hastings stores are designed to be fun and informative gathering places for customers to shop, offering such amenities as free gourmet coffee, comfortable chairs for reading, CD listening stations, video game preview stations, interactive information kiosks, telephones for free local calls, children's play areas and in-store promotional events.

Hastings is also preparing to launch www.gohastings.com, its new e-commerce Internet Web site, that will make available to Hastings customers more than 10 million new and used entertainment products and unique, contemporary gifts and toys. The site will also feature exceptional product and pricing offers, including best-selling books at up to 50 percent off list price and improved search capabilities. General financial information about Hastings will be available to investors and customers via the Internet at the company's Web site.