DALLAS, Jan. 15, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Alliance Data
Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS), a leading global provider of
data-driven marketing and loyalty solutions, announced LoyaltyOne,
its Canadian coalition loyalty business, signed a multi-year
contract renewal with Metro Ontario Inc., a subsidiary of Metro
Inc. (TSX: MRU) that extends their partnership for the Ontario market, excluding Thunder Bay.
With Ontario's second largest
grocery retail market share, Metro has been a sponsor in the AIR
MILES Reward Program since 1998. Metro was among the first sponsors
and the first Canadian grocer to launch AIR MILES Cash, the
program's instant redemption feature.
LoyaltyOne also announced that Sobeys, a wholly-owned subsidiary
of Empire Company Limited.(TSX: EMP.A), is expanding its
relationship with the AIR MILES Reward Program and will begin to
issue reward miles at its Sobeys, Sobeys Urban Fresh and Foodland
stores across Ontario in
2015.
With approximately 1,500 stores in all 10 Canadian provinces,
Sobeys becomes the AIR MILES Reward Program's first national grocer
to issue reward miles across Canada.
The Sobeys expansion follows the September 2014 launch of the AIR MILES Reward
Program in Sobeys Western Canadian banners including Sobeys, IGA,
Thrifty Foods and Edgemont Market, and Sobeys Liquor, while
continuing the partnership with Safeway and Safeway Wine and
Spirits stores. AIR MILES Cash launched in Safeway and Safeway Wine
and Spirit stores in November 2014.
In Quebec, IGA, IGA extra, Marche
Bonichoix, Les Marches Tradition and Rachelle-Bery continue to
offer the AIR MILES reward program. Customers also continue to
collect reward miles at Sobeys, Foodland and Lawtons Drugs in
Atlantic Canada.
The Ontario Club Sobeys loyalty program and BMO Club Sobeys
MasterCard will transition to the AIR MILES Reward Program in
2015.
Collectors will also be able to redeem their reward miles for
AIR MILES Cash, the Program's instant redemption feature, at both
grocery sponsors where reward miles are issued.
Sobeys Inc.
Sobeys is a wholly-owned subsidiary of
Empire Company Limited, a Canadian company with annual sales in
excess of CA$21 billion. As only one of two national grocery
retailers in Canada, Sobeys Inc.
serves the food shopping needs of Canadians.
"Our customers have responded very positively to the AIR MILES
Program in other provinces, and we are looking forward to adding
the same value to our customers' shopping experience in
Ontario," says Marc Poulin, president and chief executive
officer, Sobeys Inc. "For the first time, we will have a national
rewards program and we are delighted to partner with LoyaltyOne
across Canada to provide a more
rewarding experience in our stores."
Metro Inc.
With more than $11 billion (CDN) in annual sales, Metro Inc. is
a leader in the food and pharmaceutical sectors in Quebec and Ontario, where it operates a network of more
than 600 food stores under several banners.
"We are pleased to have extended our partnership with AIR MILES
and continue to offer our customers the opportunity to earn and
redeem AIR MILES in our Metro stores in the province of
Ontario. Working closely with AIR
MILES, we will continue to deploy in-store promotions and
personalized programs that our customers have cherished for the
past 17 years," says Marc Giroux,
vice president and chief marketing and communications officer,
Metro Inc.
"Today's announcements with long-term and highly valued partners
represents a significant step in the continued growth of our – and
Canada's – premier coalition
loyalty program," says, Bryan
Pearson, president of LoyaltyOne, owner and operator of the
AIR MILES Reward Program. "Given the highly competitive nature of
the Canadian grocery sector, we are very excited about the
potential to deepen and grow our partnerships, further leverage our
customer insights to support our partners and accelerate reward
miles issuance in Canada's most
populous province of more than 13.6 million people."
The AIR MILES Reward Program is Canada's premier coalition loyalty program,
with more than 10 million active Collector accounts representing
approximately two-thirds of all Canadian households. AIR MILES
collectors earn reward miles at hundreds of leading brand-name
sponsors representing thousands of retail and service locations
across Canada. AIR MILES reward miles can be redeemed for
more than 1,200 different rewards, such as travel, movie passes,
entertainment attractions, and electronic merchandise. The AIR
MILES Cash feature option enables collectors who opt-in the
flexibility to instantly redeem their AIR MILES reward miles from
their AIR MILES Cash balance in-store towards their purchases at
participating Sponsors.
About Metro Inc.
With annual sales of over $11
billion and over 65,000 employees, Metro Inc. is a leader in
the food and pharmaceutical sectors in Quebec and Ontario, where it operates a network of more
than 600 food stores under several banners including Metro, Metro
Plus, Super C and Food Basics, as well as over 250 drugstores under
the Brunet, The Pharmacy and Drug Basics banners.
About Sobeys Inc.
Proudly Canadian, with headquarters in Stellarton, Nova Scotia, Sobeys has been
serving the food shopping needs of Canadians for 107 years. A
wholly-owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited (TSX:EMP.A),
Sobeys owns or franchises more than 1,500 stores in all 10
provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, Safeway, IGA,
Foodland, FreshCo, Thrifty Foods, and Lawton's Drug Stores as well
as more than 350 retail fuel locations. Sobeys and its franchise
affiliates employ more than 125,000 people. The company's purpose
is to help Canadians Eat Better, Feel Better and Do Better. More
information on Sobeys Inc. can be found at
www.sobeyscorporate.com.
About LoyaltyOne Co.
LoyaltyOne is a global leader in the design and implementation
of coalition loyalty programs, customer analytics and loyalty
services for Fortune 1000 clients around the world. LoyaltyOne's
unparalleled track record delivering sustained business performance
improvement for clients stems from its unique combination of
hands-on practitioner experience and continuous thought leadership.
LoyaltyOne has over 20 years history leveraging data-driven
insights to develop and operate some of the world's most effective
loyalty programs and customer-centric solutions. These include the
AIR MILES Reward Program, North
America's premier coalition loyalty program; a majority
stake in European-based BrandLoyalty, one of the largest and most
successful campaign-driven loyalty marketers outside of the
Americas; and a working partnership with Latin America's leading coalition program,
dotz. LoyaltyOne is also the owner of COLLOQUY, a group dedicated
to research, publishing and education for the global loyalty
industry.
LoyaltyOne is an Alliance Data company. For more information, visit
www.loyalty.com.
About Alliance Data
Alliance Data® (NYSE: ADS) and its combined
businesses is a leading global provider of data-driven marketing
and loyalty solutions serving large, consumer-based industries. The
Company creates and deploys customized solutions, enhancing the
critical customer marketing experience; the result is measurably
changing consumer behavior while driving business growth and
profitability for some of today's most recognizable brands.
Alliance Data helps its clients create and increase customer
loyalty through solutions that engage millions of customers each
day across multiple touch points using traditional, digital, mobile
and emerging technologies. An S&P 500 company headquartered in
Dallas, Alliance Data and its
three businesses employ more than 15,000 associates at
approximately 100 locations worldwide. Alliance Data was named to
FORTUNE magazine's 2014 list of World's Most Admired
Companies.
Alliance Data consists of three businesses: Alliance Data Retail
Services, a leading provider of marketing-driven credit solutions;
Epsilon®, a leading provider of multichannel,
data-driven technologies and marketing services; and
LoyaltyOne®, which owns and operates the AIR
MILES® Reward Program, Canada's premier coalition loyalty program.
For more information about the company, visit our website,
www.alliancedata.com, or follow us on Twitter via
@AllianceData.
Alliance Data's Safe Harbor Statement/Forward Looking
Statements
This release may contain forward-looking statements within the
meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended,
and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.
Such statements may use words such as "anticipate," "believe,"
"continue, " "could," "estimate," "expect," "intend, " "may, "
"predict," "project," "would," and similar expressions as they
relate to us or our management. When we make forward-looking
statements, we are basing them on our management's beliefs and
assumptions, using information currently available to us. Although
we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking
statements are reasonable, these forward-looking statements are
subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions, including those
discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
If one or more of these or other risks or uncertainties
materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be
incorrect, actual results may vary materially from what we
projected. Any forward-looking statements contained in this
presentation reflect our current views with respect to future
events and are subject to these and other risks, uncertainties and
assumptions relating to our operations, results of operations,
growth strategy and liquidity. We have no intention, and disclaim
any obligation, to update or revise any forward-looking statements,
whether as a result of new information, future results or
otherwise, except as required by law.
"Safe Harbor" Statement under the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995: Statements in this presentation regarding
Alliance Data Systems Corporation's business which are not
historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve
risks and uncertainties. For a discussion of such risks and
uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from
those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk
Factors" in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most
recently ended fiscal year. Risk factors may be updated in Item 1A
in each of the Company's Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for each
quarterly period subsequent to the Company's most recent Form
10-K.
Contact:
Alliance Data
Tiffany Louder – Investor
Relations
214-494-3048
tiffany.louder@alliancedata.com
Julie Prozeller –
Analysts/Investors
FTI Consulting
212-850-5721
alliancedata@fticonsulting.com
Shelley Whiddon –
Media
214-494-3811
shelley.whiddon@alliancedata.com
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SOURCE Alliance Data Systems Corporation