Issue No. 9 - May 15, 2008
Presidential Candidate Gift Cards…A Fundraising Idea Whose Time Has Come!
Presidential Candidate Gift Cards…A Fundraising Idea Whose Time Has Come! There are gift cards for just about everything…from tattoo parlors to oil changes. Why not for our presidential candidates? (After all, they, too, can leave an indelible mark on our country…and some are slicker than others.) These could be just the thing to help jump-start their fundraising efforts? Here are our proposed ideas for the three leading candidates, with each category falling below the $2300 per person individual limit: This is maybe what President Bush hoped for when the economic stimulus package was proposed... Several national retailers have announced plans to “bonus” or add-on to the value of the economic stimulus rebate checks and/or tax refunds, when spent on the brand’s gift cards. So far, Supervalu (www.supervalu.com, the parent company of Acme, Albertsons, bigg’s, Cub Foods, Farm Fresh, Hornbacher’s, Jewel-Osco, Lucky, Shaw’s/Star Market, Shop’n Save and Shoppers Food & Pharmacy), Kroger (www.kroger.com, with their stable of brands being Kroger, Baker’s, City Market, Dillons, Fred Meyer, Fry’s, Gerbes, Hilander, Jay C, King Soopers, Owen’s, Pay Less, Ralphs, Smith’s and QFC) and Sears (www.sears.com, for Sears, Kmart and Lands’ End) have announced their plans, each giving back an additional 10% value on gift cards purchased when redeeming tax rebate checks and certain spending levels are met. To find out more about each retailer’s plan, please visit the media or press release sections on their corporate sites. One question: since so many individuals receive their rebates and refunds deposited directly in to their bank accounts, how are the retailers handling this? If any one knows the answer to this --- or has information on other retailers offering a similar program --- please pass along to me at KHawkins@GiftCardTRACKER.com. |
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It’s Official: Gift Cards are Cheesy! Many of you have thought all along that giving a gift card is on the cheesy side. Now, one retailer has validated this thought, with the introduction of their “Cheesy Gift Card.” Zumiez, the Everett, WA based retailer of snowboarding/action sports supplies and apparel to teens and college-aged customers, offers their “Bleu Ribbon Winner” for sale online (www.zumiez.com) and in their over 275 retail stores.
They may be “Taking Care of Business,” but they’re not taking care of me! I attempted to purchase, online, an Office Depot Gift Card. While shopping on www.officedepot.com, to have the gift card shipped to me, I was asked to enter my ZIP Code before I could proceed with the order. I then received a message: THIS ITEM IS NOT AVAILABLE AT YOUR LOCATION. OK, what’s up with this? I’m confused. Can anyone enlighten me? (The world’s #2 office products retailer recently reported a first quarter profit decrease --- over the same period last year --- of 55%. Maybe they also need to be taking care of the details?)
Another one bites the dust. Friedman’s Jeweler’s and its subsidiary Crescent Jewelers are shutting down. This oft-troubled “value” jeweler has lost their luster: they’ve been in bankruptcy twice, and their former CEO has been convicted in a New York federal trial of conspiracy, securities fraud and mail fraud for lying to shareholders about the company’s financial performance. (You can read more about the trial, conviction and verdict here ) “Going out of business” sales are currently taking place at most of their stores. If you have a gift card, gift certificate or merchandise credit, you better hurry in and use it now! About 75 of the store locations and inventory will be assumed by the Whitehall Jewellers chain --- to be operated as either Whitehall or Lundstrom --- however, they will not be accepting any Friedman’s Gift Cards. You can find out more about them by going to www.whitehalljewellers.com.
A gift card promotion that has some gas to it. I ran across this while I was filling up my car’s gas tank the other day at a local Texaco: enroll --- and be approved for a Texaco consumer credit card by May 31, 2008 --- and receive a $0.20 per gallon credit for 90 days, plus receive a $20 Promotional Texaco Gift Card after the first electronic purchase (where your credit card is swiped). A local gas retailer was offering gas about $0.40 per gallon cheaper than everyone else (for a day), and they had lines out on to the street. Here’s a way to get about half the same thing --- and you won’t have to fight the crowds. Check it out at www.TexacoOffer.com. The same offer is available for customers at their sister brand, Chevron, at www.ChevronOffer.com.
(We offer our disclaimer: apply for and use credit wisely.)
Shop with knowledge, and remember: the consumer holds all of the cards.
Ken Hawkins
The Card Shark