Grocers Among Stores to Sell Blockbuster GiftCards

DALLAS - Blockbuster, Inc. here said yesterday that 16 retailers, including a number of grocers, have agreed to begin selling Blockbuster GiftCards in their stores before the end of the year.

A&P, Lowes Foods, Price Chopper, Publix, Roundy’s, Shop Rite, and Winn-Dixie are among those showing interest in the program.

"Retailer interest in offering Blockbuster GiftCards is exploding," said Lori Milne, director, account development at Blockbuster. "Particularly in the grocery, convenience, gas, and drug store categories, retailers are looking for ways to serve as many of their customers' shopping needs as they can while they have them in store. GiftCards are a great way to offer a broad selection of gifting opportunities from well-known brands like Blockbuster without taking up a lot of valuable shelf space. They offer a great convenience for consumers, enabling them to shop for the holidays and special occasions when they run in to pick up a gallon of milk, and they're a significant incremental revenue opportunity for retailers."

Winn-Dixie is the first retailer to carry Blockbuster's new non-denominated and occasion-themed Thank You, Happy Birthday, and Congratulations GiftCards. These cards enable the consumer to assign any value from $5 to $500 to the cards at checkout, offering greater flexibility in their gift-giving. Available in 965 Winn-Dixie locations across the country, the GiftCards are being merchandised in the greeting card section, at the bakery counter, and at checkout.

"We're excited to be pioneering the use of the non-denominated and special occasion Blockbuster GiftCards at Winn-Dixie," said Joanne Gage, v.p. of advertising and marketing at Winn-Dixie. "These cards enable customers to be more specific in the dollar amounts they want to give and the messaging they want to reinforce. And with Blockbuster's extensive store network, our customers can rest assured they can easily find a store where they can redeem the cards for a broad range of entertainment products. We think it's going to be a great addition to our mix."

Also included in the announcement, grocery retailer Ahold USA and drug store chain CVS have expanded their Blockbuster GiftCard programs, adding 500 and 1,260 new locations, respectively.
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