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Cleveland, Ohio (September 5, 2007) – American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) announced today that the company’s U.S. card and gift shops will soon sell gift cards for other retailers, making them the first mall-based stores to offer what is known as a “gift card mall.” Starting in mid-September, the stores, which operate under both the American Greetings and Carlton Cards names, will unveil new displays that feature gift cards for 16 different food, entertainment and lifestyle retailers, including Applebee’s, Circuit City, Blockbuster and Lowe’s. The program is the result of the Company’s partnership with InComm, the nation’s largest marketer, distributor and technology provider for gift cards and prepaid products.
The concept is similar to kiosks found in other channels, but the gift card malls at American Greetings and Carlton Cards stores will expand upon the idea by offering much more than just gift cards. In a nod to the company’s 100 years of experience in the social expressions category, the displays will be equipped with everything consumers need to present these popular plastic gifts with style and a personal message, including specially designed cards, bags, tissue and unique gifting solutions. An expanded collection of innovative packaging options will debut in the displays for Christmas as well, and there will even be special collections of cards, bags and tissue designed by American Greetings to coordinate with gift cards from American Express, iTunes, Starbucks and Vanilla Visa .
“Gift cards are a convenient, year-round present for millions of people, and our new displays are truly the ultimate gift card-giving solution, combining an easy shopping experience with style and innovation,” said Nelson Tejada, vice president of merchandising for American Greetings retail division. “We know that 50 to 60 percent of consumers like to give gift cards in greeting cards or with a small gift as these ‘extras’ add special meaning, so our new gift card malls make it easy to find the gift card they want along with everything else they need for the perfect, personal presentation.”
The displays will launch on September 17 with gift cards in a variety of denominations alongside birthday-themed greeting cards, bags and tissue that range from $1.99 to $2.99. The stores will debut Christmas-themed cards, bags and tissue along with a special collection of innovative new formats in early November to coordinate with holiday designs on retailer gift cards.
The following gift cards will be available in American Greetings and Carlton Cards stores in the U.S.:
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Store cash registers will activate gift cards on-site upon purchase. Similar gift card malls are planned for the company’s Canadian card and gift shops in late fall 2007 that feature a complementary mix of gift cards from Canadian retailers. Visit www.CarltonCards.com for store locations and more information.
About American Greetings Corporation
American Greetings Corporation (NYSE: AM) is one of the world's largest manufacturers of social expression products. Along with greeting cards, its product lines include gift wrap, party goods, stationery, calendars, ornaments and electronic greetings. Located in Cleveland, Ohio, American Greetings generates annual net sales of approximately $1.7 billion. For more information, visit http://corporate.americangreetings.com.
About InComm
InComm is the industry leading marketer, distributor and technology innovator of stored-value gift and prepaid products using its state-of-the-art point-of-sale transaction technology and payment solutions to revolutionize retail product sales and customer experiences. With more than $5 billion in retail sales transactions processed in 2006, InComm is the nation’s largest provider of gift cards, prepaid wireless products, financial debit cards, digital music downloads, content, games, software and bill payment solutions. InComm partners with consumer brand leaders around the world to provide more than 145,000 retail locations the products and services their customers demand. Since 1992, InComm's patented technologies have made the buying process easier for consumers while streamlining the selling process for product and retail partners. To learn more about InComm, visit www.incomm.com or call 1.800.352.3084. InComm is headquartered in Atlanta with offices in Australia, Canada, Colorado, Texas, Florida, New Jersey, Arkansas, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom.
