Chains plan MasterCard discounts - K mart Corp., Toys 'R' Us Inc. and Montgomery Ward and Company Inc. planning promotion with MasterCard International Inc

Discount Store News, August 6, 1990

Chains Plan MasterCard Discounts

NEW YORK -- K mart, Toys "R" Us and Montgomery Ward are among the six retailers that are joining forces with MasterCard to offer discounts on merchandise over the Christmas holidays to cardholders.

Called MasterValues, the Christmas promotion offers discounts at more than 5,000 retail outlets on a wide range of merchandise, including Mattel toys.

Shoppers at the stores will receive the promotional discounts at checkout as long as they buy merchandise on their MasterCards and present either coupons available in the store or received along with their monthly bills.

At K mart, customers will be offered undisclosed discounts on dozens of Mattel toys through coupons available in the store starting Sept. 30 and are good through Dec. 31. The coupons will be available at TRU stores starting Nov. 4 and also are valid through Dec. 31.

Coupon books will be available Oct. 15 at Montgomery Ward and will be good from Nov. 1 through the end of the year. Discounts on thousands of items will include as much as 50 percent off on jewelry and furniture.

Casual Corner, Sam Goody and B. Dalton Bookseller stores are the other three participating retailers.

"Research has shown again and again and again that consumers prefer cost-savings at point-of-sale to any other kind of promotional benefit," said Keith Kendrick, senior vp of marketing for MasterCard.

As a prelude to the MasterValues promotion, MasterCard is providing a $250,000 Gold Card grand prize for this September's CBS/K mart Get Ready Giveaway.

For the second year in a row, K mart and CBS will participate in a promotion linked to the fall TV schedule. Customers will be eligible to win game prizes based on questions about the fall TV lineup.

MasterCard will promote the MasterValues promotion though 40 million inserts into customer bills and a TV commercial set to air November 19. In addition, MasterCard will provide in-store POP materials and launch a nationwide public relations drive.