TALBOT IS LEADING NATIONAL SPECIALTY retailer and cataloger of women’s and children’s classic apparel, shoes and accessories. Traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the trading symbol "TLB," the company, at the end of fiscal 2000, operated 722 stores in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom. Its catalog operation circulated approximately 58 million catalogs worldwide in fiscal 2000.Talbots on-line shopping site is located at www.talbots.com.