AMARILLO, Texas, June 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hastings Entertainment, Inc. (NASDAQ:HAST) has been awarded the Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) 2008 Retailer of the Year in the Chain Specialist Category. EMA's Retailer of the Year Awards recognizes companies that set the standard for excellence in the retailing of videos and video games. The award was presented today during the EMA's Home Media Expo 2008, being held at the Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada.
"2008 will mark an exciting year for Hastings. Not only are we celebrating our 40th Anniversary in the entertainment industry, but we have been honored as a Retailer of the Year by an association dedicated to enhancing the future of home entertainment," said John Marmaduke, President and CEO.
"Hastings is a stalwart of the home entertainment industry," noted Bo Andersen, President and CEO of EMA. "They have long been innovators in bringing video and video games into the home, with an emphasis on a broad reach of products, a rich in-store experience, and quality customer service. Hastings' leadership also extends to EMA, where its top executives have been active in promoting the interests of the entire industry." The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) is the not-for-profit international trade association dedicated to advancing the interests of the $33 billion home entertainment industry. EMA represents approximately 600 companies throughout the United States, Canada, and other nations. Its members operate approximately 23,000 retail outlets in the U.S. that sell and/or rent DVDs, computer and console video games, and digitally distributed versions of these products. Membership comprises the full spectrum of retailers (from single-store specialists to multi-line mass merchants, and both brick and mortar and online stores), distributors, the home video divisions of major and independent motion picture studios, and other related businesses that constitute and support the home entertainment industry. EMA was established in April 2006 through the merger of the Video Software Dealers Association (VSDA) and the Interactive Entertainment Merchants Association (IEMA).
Founded in 1968, Hastings Entertainment, Inc. is a leading multimedia entertainment retailer that combines the sale of new and used CDs, books, videos and video games, as well as trends merchandise, with the rental of videos and video games in a superstore format. Hastings currently operates 153 superstores, averaging approximately 20,000 square feet, primarily in medium-sized markets throughout the United States. Hasting also operates http://www.gohastings.com/, an e-commerce Internet web site that makes available to customers new and used entertainment products and unique, contemporary gifts and toys. Hastings Entertainment is a publicly traded company on NASDAQ under the symbol HAST.
For financial information, please contact Dan Crow, Vice-President of Finance and Chief Financial Officer at 806.677.1422.
For any other information, please contact Advertising Manager, Cherie Norman at 806.677.1482. DATASOURCE: Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
CONTACT: Dan Crow, Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer, +1-806-677-1422, or Cherie Norman, Advertising Manager, +1-806-677-1482, both of Hastings Entertainment, Inc.
Web site: http://www.gohastings.com/
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