DENVER, Sept. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- ValueLink, an industry leader
in gift and spending card solutions and a First Data (NYSE: FDC) company,
today announced that clothes retailer ESPRIT Holdings Limited, headquartered
in Hong Kong, has selected ValueLink to assist in the development and
implementation of Esprit's electronic gift card in the U.S. The launch builds
on Esprit's successful relationship with ValueLink in eight European countries
and demonstrates the continued popularity of gift cards in the U.S.
Esprit's U.S. gift card will be launched to coincide with the reopening of
a flagship store in New York City in September and the roll-out of four
additional U.S. stores in the fall. The gift card has been specially designed
to mark Esprit's return to the city, drawing inspiration from the lively
spirit of Times Square.
"Following the successful launch of our gift card program across our
European stores, it makes good sense to use gift cards to drive customer
loyalty and enhance the Esprit brand experience in the United States,"
commented Esprit's Deputy Chairman and Group CEO, Heinz Krogner. Initially,
only available in Esprit's new U.S. stores, the cards will also be accepted by
Esprit's twenty-five Canadian stores by the end of 2004 due to real time
currency conversion capabilities built into the program.
"The launch of the Esprit gift card in the United States strengthens our
relationship with Esprit and allows us to share our experience and knowledge
of the U.S. gift card market with them," said Kevin Harte, senior vice-
president and general manager of ValueLink. "Esprit is one of Europe's early
adopters of gift cards and by expanding their program to the U.S., they will
be part of an even more dynamic gift card market, which will help to promote
their position at the forefront of European gift card development."
About Esprit
ESPRIT Holdings Ltd, based in Hong Kong, reported a company turnover of
US$1,6bn (2003). The company designs, manufactures and sells quality clothing
and accessories for men, women and children in 40 countries and through more
than 2,500 company-owned and franchised stores.
About ValueLink
ValueLink, a First Data (NYSE: FDC) company, is an industry leader in gift
and spending card programs, offering a wide range of transaction processing,
card acquisition, card fulfillment and customer service capabilities. In
1995, ValueLink introduced its first gift card program. Today, the company
develops, implements and provides program management support for more than
130 major brands at 78,000 locations in 15 countries. For more information,
visit http://www.valuelink.info.
About First Data
First Data Corp. (NYSE: FDC), with global headquarters in Denver, helps
power the global economy. Serving approximately 3.5 million merchant
locations, 1,400 card issuers and millions of consumers, First Data makes it
easy, fast and secure for people and businesses around the world to buy goods
and services, using virtually any form of payment: credit, debit, smart card,
stored-value card or check at the point-of-sale, over the Internet or by money
transfer. For more information, please visit the company's web site at
http://www.firstdata.com.
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SOURCE First Data Corp.
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Related links:
http://www.valuelink.info
http://www.firstdata.com
CONTACT:
Sherry Johnson of First Data Corp.,
+1-303-967-8348; or Marty Schechter of Schechter Public
Relations, +1-303-987-8163, for First Data Corp.
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