Blockbuster Inc. and Dallas-based Retail Services Inc., an electronic database marketing firm, have formed Freebie Inc. Freebie Inc. will give participating stores the ability to provide customers with real-time promotional offers printed on the sales receipt at the point of sale. The Smart Offers system creates personalized offers based not only on individual customers’ current purchases but also on historical purchases and responses to past promotional offers.
“Through Partner Smart Offers, we’ll be turning our sales receipts into proven advertising vehicles for our marketing partners, adding to their income as well as our own,” said Blockbuster division president for Business Solutions Greg Smogard.
Blockbuster has been testing the Smart Offers system at several hundred stores over the past few months and plans a nationwide rollout to participating stores by the third quarter of this year. Companies that have already begun using Smart Offers to promote their brands in Blockbuster stores include Bennigan’s Irish American Grill & Tavern, Main Street and Main, Inc., owners of the T.G.I. Friday’s restaurant chain, GNC, Oshman’s SuperSports USA, Eckerd and AMC Theatres.
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