More Than 60 Companies in Retail, Food, Restaurants and Leisure And

Entertainment Will Present June 12 and 13 in New York

NEW YORK, June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The consumer sector has been one of the bright spots in the market in the past 12 months and continues to post positive gains.  What will the future bring for this sector?  Will retail stocks continue to rise or begin to slump in the summer months?

U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, a leading growth company investment firm, will host its 22nd Annual Consumer Conference, Wednesday and Thursday, June 12 and 13, in New York.  The conference will feature more than 60 of the most highly regarded and influential public and private companies in the retail, food processing and distribution, restaurants, and leisure and entertainment sectors.  Each will make 30-minute presentations over the two-day period.

Stocks in the U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray consumer universe were up

41.36 percent over the last 12 months, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 8.68 percent.  And year-to-date, U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray consumer stocks were up 20.12 percent, compared with the Dow Jones Industrial Average down 1.85 percent*.

Consumer stocks have outperformed the broad market over the past year and continue to be a popular and widely held sector, said Robert W. Peterson, head of Equity Research for U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray.  We believe the line-up at this year's consumer conference will provide investors valuable insight into future trends within the restaurants, retail, food and leisure and entertainment industries.

The conference kicks off Wednesday morning with an overview presentation by six U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray senior consumer research analysts.  George Dahlman and Eric Larson, food processing and distribution, Allan Hickok, restaurants, Brent Rystrom, broadlines and specialty retail, Jeff Klinefelter, softlines retail, mass merchandising and multichannel commerce and Tony Gikas, leisure and entertainment.

Company and investor participation for the U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray Consumer Conference is by invitation only.  Members of the media who would like to attend should contact Susan Beatty at 612-303-5680 or sfilkins@pjc.com .  All other registration is done online at http://www.gotoanalysts.com  .

Top consumer companies scheduled to present include:  Abercrombie & Fitch Co., Acclaim Entertainment, Inc., Action Performance Companies Inc., Activision, Inc., Advanced Marketing Services, Inc., Alloy, Inc., Applebee's International, Inc., bebe stores, inc., Big Lots, Inc., Brown Shoe Company, BUCA, Inc., California Pizza Kitchen, Inc., CEC Entertainment, Inc., Champps Entertainment, Inc., Charlotte Russe Holdings, Inc., Cheesecake Factory Incorporated, Children's Place Retail Stores, Inc., Darden Restaurants, Inc., dELiA*s Corp., Department 56, Dollar Tree Stores, Inc., Electronic Arts Inc., Family Dollar Stores, Inc., Fired Up Incorporated, Forever 21, Fossil, Inc., Fresh Del Monte Produce Inc., Gaiam, Inc., Gart Sports Company, Guitar Center, Inc., Gymboree Corporation (The), Hain Celestial Group, Inc. (The), Horizon Organic Holding Corporation, Hormel Foods Corporation, International Multifoods Corporation, J. Jill Group, Inc. (The), Landry's Restaurants, Inc., Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia, Inc., Michaels Stores, Inc., Mimi's Cafe, Mossimo Inc., Nash Finch Company, 99 Cents Only Stores, Inc., Noodles & Company, O'Charley's Inc., Pacific Sunwear of California, Inc., Performance Food Group Company, RARE Hospitality International, Inc., Regis Corp., Select Comfort Corporation, ShopKo Stores, Inc, Sonic Corp., SUPERVALU, Inc., Take-Two Interactive, Software, Inc., The Nautilus Group, THQ, Inc., Too, Inc., Tractor Supply Company, Tuesday Morning Corporation, Tweeter Home Entertainment Inc., Ultimate Electronics, Inc., United Natural Foods, Inc, Urban Outfitters, Inc., ValueVision International, Inc., Vans Inc. and Wilsons Leather.

*All statistical data is through May 7, 2002.

U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, a subsidiary of Minneapolis-based
U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB), provides a full range of investment products and services to businesses, institutions and individuals.  The company's investment banking business has grown significantly in the last several years by focusing on the needs of growth companies in the health care, technology, financial institutions, consumer and communications growth sectors.  U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray has a national reputation for its expertise in fundamental research and equity and debt financing.  U.S. Bancorp offers a comprehensive range of financial solutions through U.S. Bank, U.S. Bancorp Asset Management, U.S. Bancorp Investments and U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray. Securities products and services offered through U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray, Inc., member SIPC and NYSE, Inc., a subsidiary of U.S. Bancorp.

Nondeposit investment products are not insured by the FDIC, are not deposits or other obligations of or guaranteed by U.S. Bank National Association or its affiliates, and involve investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.  (5/99-0679)

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SOURCE  U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray

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/CONTACT:  Erin Freeman, Director of Public Relations, +1-415-277-1595, or Susan Beatty, Public Relations, +1-612-303-5680, both of U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray/

/Web site:  http://www.gotoanalysts.com  /

/Web site:  http://www.piperjaffray.com  /

(USB)

CO:  U.S. Bancorp Piper Jaffray
ST:  Minnesota, New York
IN:  FIN REA RST FOD LEI TRA ENT
SU:  ECO

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