CUSTOMER SERVICE & SALES ACHIEVEMENTS

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1 Number 2 Volume 5. May 2011 My Viewpoint by Lynda Stadler, editor This Issue is Dedicated to The Memory of Belk Associate, Tuscaloosa, Ala. #608 Belk associates mourn the loss of sales associate, Carolyn Jackson, who perished during the tornado strike in Tuscaloosa, Ala. on April 27. Jackson was a highly-respected and successful 17-year veteran of Belk who treated customers like family and co-workers as friends. IN THIS ISSUE Belk Mourns Loss of Associate in Tuscaloosa, Ala. Fashion: Juniors Hot Picks Stores Honored for Outstanding Safety Performance Operations Executive Retires After 30 years at Belk Belk.com Offers Everyday Free Shipping to Online Shoppers family." "Carolyn loved doing her job and cared about the merchandise in her Today's Woman department, always wanting it to be the best," said James Mcilwee, visual manager. She had an infectious laugh and a twinkle in her eye, says Mcilwee. "She had very loyal customers who trusted her to make sure that whatever they purchased would look great on them. She served as their personal shopper and always treated her customers like they were members of her Editor's Product Pick At one time when out on leave after knee surgery, Carolyn received calls from her customers asking about her and saying that they didn't want to shop without her, recalled Yvonda Jackson, store manager. "She told me she would have to come back early on crutches to take care of her customers. Her life was dedicated to her family, friends, Belk and her customers. She will be missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing her and she will always hold a place in our hearts." Juniors Fashion Hot Picks Home Accents Wood Bowl Collection I was really attracted to the new wood sets from Belk's Home Accents collection. They have a slight contemporary feel and are great for entertaining and everyday use. The natural wood grain blends well with any color tableware and works for any season. Includes chip and dip set ($19.99); rectangular wood tray ($19.99); 3-piece salad bowl with servers set ($29.99); and set of four salad bowls ($29.99). Buy them on Belk.com CUSTOMER SERVICE & SALES ACHIEVEMENTS Complete Report Relentless Customer Care March Top 5 Stores Overall Satisfaction Designer Team Move Belk Private Brands Fashion Forward Belk's private brands department has expanded its team of fashion and textile designers to give the company a greater capacity to create updated looks and unique styles for popular Belk brands such as Madison, ND New Directions, Red Camel juniors and Red Camel young men's. This is a key strategy to help the company reach its goal to increase private brands sales to 30 percent of total company sales. "The future of our private brands business is going to be quality and design driven," said John Thomas, executive vice president, private brands. "Design gives us a clear and definitive point of view for our brands to deliver modern, southern style to our customers." "One of the reasons for our success last year was really listening and responding to what our customers want," agree Scarlett Jarrett, product manager and Caroline Hamlin, apparel designer. "We design for our customers' need sand put them in the forefront of everything we do." Darla Jarvis-BuenRostro, textile designer and Lindsay Gibbons, assistant textile designer are one of the two textile teams that provide graphic direction to product managers and buyers, creating and suggesting new ways to interpret the season s color and trend stories to add uniqueness to Belk s private labels. "We work on JKhaki girls, Red Camel young men's, Madison men's and Saddlebred brands, which offer a great amount of variety," said Gibbons. Our goal is to achieve up-todate looks and techniques of the popular styles that our Belk customers want," said Gibbons. "We work hard to elevate the Month YTD Total Belk 73% 73% #177 Cornelia, Ga. 89% 80% #328 Kerrville, Texas 88% 85% #375 Buford, Ga. 88% 80% #269 Bainbridge, Ga. 88% 81% #388 Cape Coral, Fla. 87% 88% Store Standings Top 5 stores in each division that met or exceeded sales and profit plans for the month of November: Northern Division Henderson, N.C. #598 Greensboro, N.C. #25 Bluefield, W. Va. #408 Raleigh, N.C. #79 Corbin, Ky. #251 Zebulon, N.C. #529 Rock Hill, S.C. #581 Sanford, N.C. #8 Washington, N.C. #130 Fayetteville, N.C. #419 Southern Division Haines City, Fla. #391 Norcross, Ga. #270

2 brands each season and provide the very best product at an affordable price point." Newnan, Ga. #404 Cordele, Ga. #522 Americus, Ga. #528 Conyers, Ga. #331 Macon, Ga. #398 Moultrie, Ga. #179 Milledgeville, Ga. #302 Hartwell, Ga. #78 Western Division Corinth, Miss. #246 Selma, Ala. #655 Mt. Juliet, Tenn. #358 North Shore, La. #304 Spanish Fort, Ala. #281 Laurel, Miss. #674 Auburn, Ala. #289 Prattville, Ala. #400 Natchez, Miss #677 Vicksburg, Miss. #669 SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES May Design team, from left, back row, Kristen DePalmo, Lisa Edwards, Steve Shifton, Caroline Hamlin, Hayes Bieke. Sitting at table, from left, Heather Ellithorpe, Jenna Jackovich, Darla Jarvis-Buenrosto and Lindsay Gibbons. Not pictured, Heather Shore. UPCOMING SPECIAL EVENTS Design Team Hayes Bieke, Apparel Designer Kristen DePalmo, Assistant Textile Designer Lisa Edwards, Package Designer Heather Ellithorpe, Assistant Package Designer Lindsay Gibbons, Assistant Textile Designer Caroline Hamlin, Apparel Designer Jenna Jackovich, Textile Designer Darla Jarvis-BuenRosto, Textile Designer Steve Shifton, Director of Design Heather Shore, Apparel Designer Belk.com Offers Everyday Free Shipping to Online Shoppers Steve Shifton and Darla Jarvis-Buenrosto. Happy Mother's Day Sunday, May 8 Customer Appreciation Days May 19 - May 21 All Stores Associate Extra Discount Day on Belk.com May Note: You must be registered as an associate to get discounts. Friends & Family Event June 8 11 All Stores Father's Day Golf Getaway Customer Sweepstakes June 6-19, 2011 All Stores Beginning in May, Belk online shoppers will get free shipping every day for belk.com purchases totaling $99 or more, while orders less than $99 will be shipped for a flat rate of $8. Our belk.com customers have indicated that they want shopping online to be easy, hassle-free, and they re always looking to save on their purchases, said Ivy Chin, senior vice president, e-commerce. We want customers to know that we re listening. The launch of everyday free shipping greatly simplifies our policies and processes so customers no longer have to worry about coupons or limited dates on free shipping offers." The $99 minimum purchase amount needed to qualify for everyday free shipping is calculated after coupons, special offers and other discounts have been applied and does not include tax, gift box charges or gift card purchases. The offer applies to standard shipping only to one location. Both offers for free shipping on belk.com orders of $99 or more, and the $8 flat rate for the shipping of orders less than $99 are available every day, all year long. Associates Get Extra Savings on Belk.com This Month Take advantage of your 20 percent associate discount AND an extra 10 percent associate discount on Friday and Saturday, May 20 and 21. To receive your discounts on online purchases you must register on Belk.com as a Belk associate. How to Register Belk Stores Honored for Safety Performance Congratulations to Belk s Northern Division for achieving best safety performance and having the lowest accident rate in its stores throughout the year. Lee Danley, regional vice president, Wilmington, N.C. region, was the division s safety champion. A safety champions' role is to communicate between store operations and Belk's risk and safety department. Each champion participates in monthly calls to identify trends and learn about upcoming promotions that may have an impact on our safety culture.

3 Kudos to the following stores in each division that were honored for being accident-free during the past year: SOUTHERN DIVISION Union, S.C. #3 Hartwell, Ga. #78 Simpsonville, S.C. #89 Moultrie, Ga. #179 Winter Haven, Fla. #248 Bainbridge, Ga. #269 North Augusta, S.C. #299 Cordele, Ga. #522 Crystal River, Fla. #563 St. Marys, Ga. #573 Sebring, Fla. #583 NORTHERN DIVISION Rockingham, N.C. #14 Reidsville, N.C. #31 Mount Airy, N.C. #42 Jacksonville, N.C. #294 Zebulon, N.C. #529 Farmville, Va. #530 Franklin, Va. #537 California, Md. #543 Elkin, N.C. #564 Brevard, N.C. #587 Morgantown, W.Va. #697 WESTERN DIVISION Nacogdoches, Texas #255 Branson, Mo. #351 Russellville, Ark. #359 Stillwater, Okla. #362 Knoxville, Tenn. #689 Cleveland, Tenn. #692 Greeneville, Tenn. #693 Fiscal Year 2012 Division Safety Champions are: Northern Division: Gene Matthews, vice president and regional store manager Southern Division: Dave Brewer, vice president and regional store manager, South Atlanta Region Western Division: Christine Powell, vice president and regional store manager Operations Executive Announces Retirement After 35 Years with Belk Ron Shealy has announced his retirement from Belk as executive vice president of operations effective on July 30, 2011 after 35 years of exemplary service and leadership with the company. Shealy began his Belk career in 1976 as a management trainee in Greenville, S.C., and held a number of store management and merchandising positions in the Belk group of stores based in Greenville (formerly the Belk Simpson group) until his promotion to senior vice president and general merchandise manager of the Belk Western Division in In 2002 Ron was appointed senior vice president of allocation and store process, a post he held until February 2009 when he was named head of the Parisian Integration Office. Ron was promoted to his current position in July During his tenure at Belk, Shealy has played key leadership roles in a variety of functional areas, including store management, division merchandising and sales promotion, planning and allocation, and operations. As head of the Parisian Integration office, he helped drive the successful completion of the Parisian acquisition and since appointment to his current position Ron has spearheaded several key initiatives including the Project SPARC strategic sourcing project, the expansion of the Blythewood, S.C. distribution center to enable implementation of the fluid load logistics program, and the Belk Sustainability initiative. In addition, he has helped lead the way in the development and rollout of our company-wide store re-engineering initiative, Project ROCC (Revitalizing Our Customer Care). RALEIGH, N.C. Associate Shaves Head to Help Children with Cancer Joey Murphy, loss prevention associate at Belk in Raleigh, N.C. #458, Crabtree Valley Mall, decided that a clean shave would help children with cancer. As a fundraising volunteer for St. Baldrick s Foundation ( an organization that funds research to find cures for childhood cancers, Murphy shaves his head once a year to raise money and help families who suffer through the realities of childhood cancers. CHARLESTON, S.C. Associates Celebrate Black History Through Guided Tour of City and Surrounding Islands In honor of Black History Month in February, Vanessa Poinsette, lead scheduler at Belk in Charleston, S.C. #202, Citadel Mall, organized a Black History Tour of the Charleston area for store associates and their families in conjunction with a local tour company, Sites and Insights Tours, Inc. The tour was a 2 ½ hour motorized tour of downtown Charleston and two of Charleston s sea islands, James Island and Johns Island also known as Gullah islands. The Gullah are African-Americans who live in the Lowcountry region of South Carolina and Georgia and are known for preserving more of their African linguistic and cultural heritage than any other African-American community in the United States. Charleston has a rich history particularly among African-Americans, said Helen Matlock, regional assistant. Al Miller, the tour guide, grew up in this area and was very knowledgeable about the contributions made by African-Americans beginning back in the 1600 s. His understanding of the region and its people made historical facts personal and touched the hearts and minds of everyone on the tour bus. The tour included visits to several historical sites such as the Emanuel A.M.E. Church, which was founded in 1818 by Reverend Morris Brown, closed by state law in 1834, and reopened in 1865 and The Avery Institute, which was constructed in 1867 as the first free secondary school for African-Americans. Photo Tour participants in front of the Angel Oak Tree. From left, Vanessa Poinsette, Susan McWatters, Helen Matlock and Mary Urie. Why does he do it? Because he is blessed with a healthy child, he says. My daughter, Jayci, has been healthy her entire life, explained Murphy. She is a vibrant, smart, perfect little girl, and I love every moment I get to spend with her. When Murphy heard about St. Baldrick s and began thinking about what would happen if one day his child were to develop cancer. It was a frightening thought. But that s what mothers and fathers who have children with cancer face every day, he said. The thought of it was more than I could fathom, so I wanted to do anything I could to help. Murphy admits he does not look forward to getting his head shaved, but takes pride in knowing that if his effort and ensuing baldness will help even in a small way, he will continue to do it. Management and the associates at his Belk store were eager to help Murphy raise money for the cause and raised over $500 through a bake sale and personal donations. In total, Murphy raised $700 for the cause. Joey is so passionate about the St. Baldrick s Foundation and everyone wanted to help, said Caesar Lamonaca, store manager. We are very proud of Joey and his proactive commitment to this cause. BELK & CO FINE JEWELERS Fine Jewelry Coordinators Named in Each Division Belk announced the promotions of the following managers to division fine jewelry coordinators: Northern Division Laura Heaney will be based in the Crabtree Valley Mall store in Raleigh, N.C. Southern Division David Martin will be based in the Mall of Georgia store in Buford, Ga. David joined Belk in 2002 and was previously fine jewelry coordinator in the Southern Division with responsibility for the Spartanburg, Columbia, Charleston, Myrtle Beach, and Savannah stores.

4 Western Division Gene Broussard and Robbie Everitt will serve as fine jewelry coordinators in the Western division. Broussard will be based in the Ridgeland, Miss. store with responsibility for the Jackson, Shreveport, Pensacola, Biloxi, Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma Regions. Everitt will be based in the Cullman, Ala. store with responsibility for the Birmingham, Nashville, Huntsville, Gadsden and Knoxville Regions and the stores in Ashland, Elizabethtown and Richmond, Ky. In Memoriam Pearl Furst Schiffer, retiree of Belk and resident of Stuyvesant Town in New York City, passed away on March 5. Schiffer was a highly successful and respected women s wear buyer who had a long and distinguished 40-year career with Belk in the New York office. Did you know? Tour participants were awe-struck by the Angel Oak tree which is a Southern live oak tree located in Angel Oak Park on Johns Island. It is estimated to be in excess of 1,500 years old, stands 65 feet (20 m) tall, measures 28 feet (8.5 m) in circumference, and shades with its crown an area of 17,000 square feet (1,600 m2). Its widest crown spread point-to-point is 180 feet, which is longer than any other live oak in the country. Its longest limb is 105 feet (32 m) in length. The tree and surrounding park have been owned by the city of Charleston since "My great aunt cherished her years at Belk, and whenever I was traveling to North Carolina, she always asked me to take a look at the Belk stores in the Charlotte and surrounding areas, said her grand-niece, Diane Ospina. The pride she had for her many years with the company was with her even to the end. She knew how to live life and live it well. She was a great lady as beautiful as she was strong, and will be greatly missed by many, but mostly by her family, all of whom adored her. Contributors: Martha Basco, Shannon Davis, Jessica Graham, Kristen Haas, Tolly Harris, Cheri Hawkes, Liz Lubunski, Becky Pinion, Emily Spratt, Darlene Starcher, Darrell Williams, and all Belk executives and merchants who provide information for View Online Lynda Stadler editor lynda_stadler@belk.com Pamela Fernandez art director pamela_fernandez@belk.com Send submission requests to: view@belk.com View Magazine is Belk's print publication for and about Belk associates. It is published five times each year. Copies of View Magazine are available in each department area (corporate office) and associate break rooms (stores). View Online is a supplemental monthly newsletter to View Magazine. View Magazine Belk, Inc. 2801W.Tyvola Rd. Charlotte, N.C general information View Magazine and View Online are internal publications produced by Belk s Corporate Communications Department. The information contained in them is intended solely for Belk associates and is not for external distribution.

5 CUSTOMER SERVICE & SALES ACHIEVEMENTS Relentless Customer Care Customer Satisfaction March 2011 For fiscal year 2012, Belk will continue to focus on recognizing the top stores in Overall Satisfaction and Courtesy/Friendliness of Associates. Through the new Relentless Customer Care program, there is a specific focus on the service behaviors which have been identified as key drivers of customer satisfaction. Scores for these areas will be provided for each store. When we apply these service behaviors sincerely and effectively, our customers are more satisfied and more likely to return to shop with us. OVERALL SATISFACTION (% of customers surveyed who said they were highly satisfied with their experience) Total Belk 73% 73% #177 Cornelia, Ga. 89% 80% #328 Kerrville, Texas 88% 85% #375 Buford, Ga. 88% 80% #269 Bainbridge, Ga. 88% 81% #388 Cape Coral, Fla. 87% 88% MOST IMPROVED VS. PREVIOUS MONTH: OVERALL SATISFACTION MTD Prev Mnth Var Total Belk 73% 72% 1% #288 Conway, Ark. 74% 33% 41% #114 Conway, S.C. 68% 38% 30% #18 Albemarle, N.C. 80% 50% 30% #30 High Point, N.C. 84% 56% 27% #463 Charleston, S.C. 80% 53% 27% May 2011

6 CUSTOMER SERVICE & SALES ACHIEVEMENTS COURTESY/FRIENDLINESS OF ASSOCIATES (% of customers surveyed who said they were highly satisfied with the courtesy/friendliness of associates) Total Belk 75% 74% #544 Martinsville, Va. 96% 90% #371 Tulsa, Okla. 92% 83% #336 McKinney, Texas 92% 87% #583 Sebring, Fla. 90% 87% #202 Charleston, S.C. 88% 87% PROMPT GREETING (% of customers surveyed who said they received a prompt greeting) Total Belk 84% 84% #583 Sebring, Fla. 100% 98% #544 Martinsville, Va. 100% 97% #401 Winder, Ga. 98% 92% #580 Mooresville, N.C. 97% 92% #31 Reidsville, N.C. 97% 92% WARMTH & FRIENDLINESS OF GREETING (% of customers surveyed who said they were highly satisfied with the warmth & friendliness of the greeting they received) Total Belk 78% 77% #573 St. Marys, Ga. 100% 93% #476 Fayetteville, N.C. 100% 90% #558 Stuttgart, Ark. 100% 89% #179 Moultrie, Ga. 95% 83% #603 Hoover, Ala. 94% 87% ASKING QUESTIONS TO DETERMINE NEEDS (% of customers surveyed who said the associate asked questions to determine needs) Total Belk 54% 53% #476 Fayetteville, N.C. 80% 69% #580 Mooresville, N.C. 75% 64% #266 Tifton, Ga. 74% 68% #141 Jacksonville, Fla. 73% 63% #593 Whiteville, N.C. 73% 70% May 2011

7 CUSTOMER SERVICE & SALES ACHIEVEMENTS SUGGESTING MERCHANDISE (% of customers surveyed who said the associate suggested merchandise to them) Total Belk 43% 42% #476 Fayetteville, N.C. 73% 61% #141 Jacksonville, Fla. 72% 63% #61 Asheboro, N.C. 65% 58% #593 Whiteville, N.C. 64% 63% #655 Selma, Ala. 64% 48% THANKING BY NAME (% of customers surveyed who said they were thanked by name) Total Belk 72% 70% #580 Mooresville, N.C. 97% 94% #80 Shelby, N.C. 92% 87% #544 Martinsville, Va. 90% 87% #177 Cornelia, Ga. 89% 87% #347 Fredericksburg, Va. 89% 82% INVITED BACK (% of customers who said they were invited back) Total Belk 83% 81% #320 Paris, Texas 97% 92% #544 Martinsville, Va. 96% 95% #401 Winder, Ga. 96% 86% #522 Cordele, Ga. 96% 94% #81 Morganton, N.C. 96% 96% OVERALL SATISFACTION BY DIVISION (% HIGHLY SATISFIED) Total Belk 73% 73% Northern 72% 72% Southern 75% 74% Western 73% 72%

8 May 2011 CUSTOMER SERVICE & SALES ACHIEVEMENTS STORE STANDINGS The following list represents the top 10 percent of stores in each division (excluding closed stores) that met or exceeded sales and profit plans for the month of March. Northern Division Henderson, N.C. #598 Greensboro, N.C. #25 Bluefield, W. Va. #408 Raleigh, N.C. #79 Corbin, Ky. #251 Zebulon, N.C. #529 Rock Hill, S.C. #581 Sanford, N.C. #8 Washington, N.C. #130 Fayetteville, N.C. #419 Southern Division Haines City, Fla. #391 Norcross, Ga. #270 Newnan, Ga. #404 Cordele, Ga. #522 Americus, Ga. #528 Conyers, Ga. #331 Macon, Ga. #398 Moultrie, Ga. #179 Milledgeville, Ga. #302 Hartwell, Ga. #78 Western Division Corinth, Miss. #246 Selma, Ala. #655 Mt. Juliet, Tenn. #358 North Shore, La. #304 Spanish Fort, Ala. #281 Laurel, Miss. #674 Auburn, Ala. #289 Prattville, Ala. #400 Natchez, Miss #677 Vicksburg, Miss. #669 TOP DEMAND CENTERS Based on sales percent increase to plan for comparable stores during the month of March: 7035 Designer 7111 Hard Home 7065 Fine Jewelry 7088 Men s Bottoms 7109 Soft Home

9 SERVICE ANNIVERSARIES MAY 2011 Associates Honored for Years of Loyal Service 40 Years Shirley Hartman, Greeneville, Tenn. # Years Margaret Hickam, Kingsport, Tenn. #682 Keith Holder, Hickory, N.C. #26 Ron Shealy, Corporate Office,Charlotte, N.C. 30 Years Marie Awad, Chattanooga, Tenn. #691 Jeanette Jarrell, Asheboro, N.C. #61 Ronald Jones, Fayetteville, N.C. #419 Inez Kirk, Chattanooga, Tenn. #694 Trudy Simms, Greenville, N.C. #552 Mary Strickland, Roanoke Rapids, N.C. #360 Sherry Webb, Corporate Office, Charlotte, N.C. 25 Years Beverly Anderson, Wilmington, N.C. #13 Dexie Carter, Greenville, S.C. #16 Marvetta Huggins, Charleston, S.C. #202 Doug Noll, Blythewood, S.C. # Years Beverly Bailey, Montgomery, Ala. #613 Jane Bell, Huntsville, Ala. #606 Bonita Bond, Gautier, Miss. #673 Mary Davis, Columbia, S.C. #378 Michael Farley, UES, Danville, Va. #984 Angelique Jefferson, Winston-Salem, N.C. #17 David Knott, Martinsville, Va. #544 Glenda Moser, Greensboro, N.C. #25 Gaynelle Taylor, Rocky Mount, N.C. #28 Francisca Swan The, Birmingham, Ala. # Years Elizabeth Batten, Douglas, Ga. #107 Tonya Butler-Faison, Franklin, Va. #537 Jane Fugate, Jacksonville, N.C. #294 Cheryl Hart, Greenville, Miss. #667 Tammy Jackson, Monroe, N.C. #1 Mary Langham, Maryville, Tenn. #683 Cindy Milam, Wilmington, N.C. #13 Margot Waters, Athens, Ga. #54 Kelly Wright, Franklin, Tenn. # Years Michelle Anken, Columbia, S.C. #162 Pamela Bailey, Greensboro, N.C. #465 Murali Bandaru, Corporate Office, Charlotte, N.C. Deborah Banker, Anderson, S.C. #19 Betty Bergen, Franklin, Tenn. #629 Angelia Brown, Dothan, Ala. #615 Angela Dupree, Griffin, Ga. #495 Herman Gillis, Laurinburg, N.C. #565 Earnestine House, Blythewood, S.C. #737 Mark Jerrell, Clarksville, Tenn. #539 Brent Johnson, Winston-Salem, N.C. #17 Kimberly Kane, Mobile, Ala. #652 Scott Laws, Corporate Office,Charlotte, N.C. Mallie Lindsey, Ridgeland, Miss. #676 JoAnne McClain, Charlotte, N.C. #452 Alan Miller, Atlanta, Ga. #619 Anthony Moore, Greensboro, N.C. #465 Inez Payne, Florence, S.C. #84 Jennifer Pfannkuche-Thomas, Centerville, Ga. #582 Michelle Phares, Birmingham, Ala. #603 Rachael Powell, Charlotte, N.C. #329 Mary Presnell, Bristol, Va. #52 Lorraine Richardson, Charlotte, N.C. #452 Jerome Rickenbacker, Blythewood, S.C. #737 Carol Sadusky, Raleigh, N.C. #458 Joseph Schmidt, Birmingham, Ala. #604 Julia Scott, Greenwood, S.C. #27 Susan Shell, Chattanooga, Tenn. #691 Susan Silcox, Pensacola, Fla. #657 Beverly Smith, Roanoke, Va. #517 Erin Surbaugh, Elizabeth City, N.C. #108 Janice Turner, Blythewood, S.C. #737 Barbara Vaden, Greensboro, N.C. #465 Velda Williams, Pineville, N.C. #553 William Woodfin, Thomasville, Ga. #274