Gerald Stevens, Inc. Announces Consumer Marketing Partnership With Chevron, Inc

Business Wire, Nov 22, 1999

VERO BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 22, 1999--

Floral Company Subsidiary Markets "Private Label"

Flowers to Chevron Cardholders

Gerald Stevens, Inc. (Nasdaq: GIFT), the nation's leading retailer and marketer of flowers and related floral products and gifts, today announced a strategic consumer marketing partnership between The Flower Club, its wholly owned subsidiary, and Chevron, Inc. (NYSE: CHV), to offer Chevron cardholders the opportunity to send fresh-cut flowers virtually anywhere in the world.

Chevron cardholders will receive an insert in their monthly statement providing a toll-free phone number where they can order flower arrangements for friends, family and business associates 24 hours a day. Orders are sent to local area florists via Gerald Stevens-owned Florafax (www.florafax.com), the fourth largest flowers-by-wire service in the U.S.

The Flower Club (www.flowerclub.com) forms corporate partnerships with nationally recognized retailers and airlines to market "private label" flowers and gifts directly to those companies' customers.

"The Flower Club is proud to be instrumental in helping Chevron to enhance the array of services that it offers its many cardholders," said James West, President of The Flower Club. "We look forward to helping Chevron customers conveniently express themselves with flowers at a moment's notice - and right in time for the holiday season.

Dave Fitzgerald, Manager of Chevron Credit Card Enterprise's Card Marketing Department states, "The Flower Club's attention to quality and service makes them a perfect partner for our direct marketing program. We are happy to provide yet another value-added benefit for our Chevron cardholders."

The program, which has been initiated for the holiday sending season, will continue into the year 2000.

Chevron Inc. is one of the largest integrated petroleum companies in the world and is headquartered in San Francisco, CA.

Gerald Stevens, Inc. (Nasdaq: GIFT) (www.geraldstevens.com) is a leading integrated retailer and marketer of flowers, plants and complementary gifts and decorative accessories. By meeting customers wherever they want to shop -- retail stores, online, 1-800 numbers, catalogs -- Gerald Stevens makes it more convenient for customers to express themselves through fresh, high-quality flowers. The Company currently operates the largest network of floral specialty retail stores in the United States, with 275 locations in 29 markets. In addition to retail locations, Gerald Stevens is integrating operations throughout the floral supply chain. It owns its own import operation in Miami, Florida and has relationships with leading growers around the world, allowing the Company to control the entire customer experience from order through to delivery. In addition, Gerald Stevens is making ordering flowers a true customer convenience, with 4 regional call centers and Internet operations that take orders 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.