New No Fee BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard Puts Shoppers in the Points Collecting
Fast Lane

Exclusive New Partnership with BMO Ramps Up Exclusive and Everyday Rewards for Members

EDMONTON, Sept. 9 /CNW/ - Building on the continued success of its popular Club Sobeys program, Sobeys is ramping up its rewards program in Western Canada with the introduction of the new No Fee BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard.  Now, shoppers will get greater instant savings off their everyday grocery purchases at checkout or treat themselves to exclusive rewards more often by accumulating additional Club Sobeys points in significantly less time.

Under an exclusive new partnership with BMO Bank of Montreal, the No Fee BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard has been designed to give shoppers the fastest way to earn Club Sobeys points.  When used for purchases at Sobeys stores in Western Canada along with their Club Sobeys card, customers earn double the points - a total of two points for every dollar spent. Plus, they can accelerate their points earning by collecting one Club Sobeys point for every $1 spent everywhere else they use their card such as gas stations, movie theatres, restaurants - anywhere and everywhere that MasterCard is accepted.  Customers signing up for the new No Fee BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard will receive a welcome bonus of 1,375 Club Sobeys points with their first card purchase - that's an immediate $10 off groceries at Sobeys stores.

In addition to ongoing exclusive cardholder offers throughout the year allowing them to earn Club Sobeys points faster, Club Sobeys members using their No Fee BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard to purchase groceries from September 10 - October 21, 2010 at Sobeys banner stores in Western Canada will earn five times the amount of Club Sobeys reward points.

"The No Fee BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard is the fastest way to earn more free groceries or rewards of every kind imaginable," explains Brent Newman, Vice President, Marketing, Sobeys West. "We're all about choice - from our food offering to the way customers choose to redeem their reward points - and the new No Fee BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard allows customers to collect Club Sobeys points anywhere they use the card to make their shopping experiences that much more worthwhile."

The new partnership represents the first co-branded credit card relationship between a national grocery chain and one of Canada's leading and most trusted chartered financial institutions.

David Heatherly, Vice President, Payment Products, BMO Bank of Montreal, notes that, as Sobeys Inc.'s new financial services partner, BMO will develop unique banking products for customers.  "BMO and Sobeys share a similar customer commitment, which is to offer high quality products and services, everyday value and an outstanding customer experience," he says.  "This partnership will help BMO to establish a much deeper relationship with Sobeys customers by offering them rewards and exclusive shopping experiences that they cannot enjoy anywhere else."

The Club Sobeys rewards program is unique in Canadian grocery retailing because of the variety of ways customers can collect and redeem their points:

• Instant savings on their grocery bill right in store, at the point-of-purchase
• Easy conversion to Aeroplan miles
• Merchandise from the online catalogue such as kitchen appliances, gift cards or even personal chef services

How to Apply

Sobeys shoppers can quickly and easily accelerate their Club Sobeys point earning power by applying for the No Fee BMO Club Sobeys MasterCard online at www.bmoclubsobeys.com or by picking up an application in-store at any Sobeys banner store in Western Canada.

About Sobeys Inc.

Sobeys Inc. is a leading national grocery retailer and food distributor headquartered in Stellarton, Nova Scotia. A wholly-owned subsidiary of Empire Company Limited (TSX:EMP.A), Sobeys owns or franchises more than 1,300 stores in all 10 provinces under retail banners that include Sobeys, IGA, Foodland, FreshCo, Price Chopper and Thrifty Foods, as well as  Lawtons Drug Stores. Sobeys Inc. is committed to providing the most worthwhile experience for its customers, employees, franchisees, suppliers and shareholders. More information on Sobeys Inc. can be found at www.sobeyscorporate.com.

About BMO

BMO Bank of Montreal is the largest MasterCard issuer in Canada and has been a founding sponsor of the AIR MILES Reward Miles Program since its inception in 1992 -- when it became the first major bank in North America to start rewarding its customers for their personal banking.  Established in 1817 and based in Canada, BMO Financial Group serves more than 10 million personal, commercial, corporate and institutional customers in North America and internationally. Our operating groups - Personal and Commercial Banking, BMO Bank of Montreal in Canada and Harris in the United States; Private Client Group, our wealth management business; and BMO Capital Markets - share one vision: to be the bank that defines great customer experience.

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