Big Dog Holdings Moves Distribution Center to New State-of-the-Art Facility in North Carolina

New Facility to Increase Distribution Capacity and Speed 


LINCOLNTON, N.C., Jan. 25  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Big Dog Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:BDOG) (http://www.bigdogs.com/) (http://www.thewalkingcompany.com/), a developer and retailer of branded, lifestyle consumer products, today announced it has moved its distribution center to a new modern facility in North Carolina.

Big Dog Holdings owns and operates Big Dog Sportswear and The Walking Company.  Combined locations for the two national chains total approximately 295 stores. The Walking Company is one of the top five fastest-growing retailers in the U.S.

The newly built distribution center is in Lincolnton, North Carolina, just outside of Charlotte.  The facility is 230,000 square feet, expandable to over 400,000 square feet if needed.  Big Dog Holdings invested more than $4 million in state-of-the-art technologies and equipment for the facility, including advanced conveyor systems, automated shipping and receiving systems and an enhanced inventory management infrastructure.  Initially, the company will employ approximately 100 people at the facility.

"Big Dog Holdings has experienced significant growth during the past few years," said John Wood, senior vice president of distribution at Big Dog Holdings, Inc.  "This new facility is an improvement in all areas that will enable us to efficiently get product into the distribution center and back out to market faster.  This was a great opportunity to increase our capacity and speed in servicing our stores."

Big Dog Holdings' distribution center for the past nine years was a 120,000 square-foot facility in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. that employed approximately 100 people.  Roughly 15 percent of the employees from that facility were relocated to North Carolina, with the rest being provided with severance packages and assistance finding new jobs.

"The new distribution center is having an immediate effect on our business.  An improved labor pool, the updated systems plus the option of being able to expand to an even larger facility provide for better integration as we look toward the future and the continued expansion of our company," said Wood.

The location for the new facility was determined after a comprehensive study on how to best service The Walking Company and Big Dog Sportswear stores across the country.

Big Dog Holdings, Inc. consists of Big Dogs and The Walking Company.  Big Dogs develops, markets and retails a branded, lifestyle collection of unique, high-quality, popular-priced consumer products, including activewear, casual sportswear, accessories and gifts. The BIG DOGS(R) brand image is one of quality, value and fun.  The BIG DOGS(R) brand is designed to appeal to people of all ages and demographics, particularly baby boomers and their kids, big and tall customers, and pet owners.  In addition to its 145 retail stores, Big Dogs markets its products through its catalog, internet and corporate sales accounts. The Walking Company is a leading independent specialty retailer of high quality, technically designed comfort shoes and accessories that features premium brands such as ECCO, Mephisto, Dansko, Merrell and Ugg among many others.  These products have particular appeal to one of the largest and most rapidly growing demographics in the nation. The Walking Company operates 149 stores in premium malls across the nation.

Safe Harbor Statement Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 -- With the exception of historical information, the matters discussed in this press release are forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties.  The actual future sales and other results of the Company could differ significantly from those statements.  Further information on the Company's risk factors is contained in the Company's quarterly and annual reports as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

  Contact:   Steve Honig
             The Honig Company, Inc.
             818-986-4300
             

DATASOURCE: Big Dog Holdings, Inc.



CONTACT:  Steve Honig of The Honig Company, Inc., [phone],

, for Big Dog Holdings, Inc.



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

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