The Alliance alliances

Alliance Data Systems Corporation representatives have announced the signing of a five-year agreement to provide private label credit card services for Savannah, Ga.-headquartered Friedman’s Jewelers. Under terms of the agreement, Alliance Data will provide a full-service private label credit card solution including account acquisition and activation; receivables funding; card authorization; private label credit card issuance; statement generation; remittance processing; customer service functions; and marketing services.

Along with the announcement, Friedman’s Jewelers CEO Sam Cusano spoke of Alliance Data’s “expertise, knowledge of consumer purchase behavior and impressive credit and marketing tools” as fundamental components of the decision to implement Alliance. The Friedman deal represents the second attention-grabbing maneuver as of late, with late June seeing the inking of a five-year agreement to provide private label credit card services for Bealls Outlet Stores, Inc. and Burke’s Outlet Stores, Inc.

This agreement calls for Alliance Data to provide turnkey private label credit card services including account acquisition and activation; receivables funding; card authorization; private label credit card issuance; statement generation; remittance processing; customer service functions; and marketing services. Chief impetus for the deal on Bealls’ part was the rapid expansion the corporation currently has underway, highlighted by plans to open “at least” forty new stores within the next twelve months. “We are pleased … to help them meet their aggressive growth targets,” chipped in Ivan Szeftel, president of retail services for Alliance Data.

Bealls Outlet Stores and Burke’s Outlet Stores are a division of Bradenton, Fla.-headquartered Beall’s Inc. Family owned since 1915, the corporation consists of 80 department stores Florida and 500 outlet locations in Arizona, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Arkansas, Texas, New Mexico, Nevada and California.

The shops represent sales of US $600 million. Friedman’s Jewelers opened its first store in 1920; today, 422 Friedman’s outlets operate in twenty states, and is America’s third- largest jewelry retailer. Alliance Data is a provider of transaction services, credit services and marketing services; the firm claims management of more than 105 million consumer relationships for North American companies. Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Alliance Data employs approximately 8,000 associates at 41 locations worldwide.