Alliance Data to Launch Private Label Credit Card Program and Provide Database Marketing Services; Extends Co-Branded Credit Card Agreement to Drive Sales, Increase Customer Loyalty

DALLAS, Sept. 30 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Alliance Data Systems Corporation (NYSE: ADS), a leading provider of loyalty and marketing solutions derived from transaction-rich data, today announced it has signed multi-year agreements with Gander Mountain (Nasdaq: GMTN) to provide new private label credit card and database marketing services in support of Gander Mountain's multi-channel business. Alliance Data also signed a contract extension to continue providing co-brand credit card services for Gander Mountain. Headquartered in St. Paul, Minnesota, Gander Mountain is the nation's largest retail network of stores for hunting, fishing, camping, boating, marine, and outdoor lifestyle apparel and footwear, products and services, and operates 115 Gander Mountain outdoor lifestyle stores in 23 states. A client of Alliance Data's since 2005, Gander Mountain's 2007 fiscal year sales were nearly $1 billion.

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Under terms of the agreements, Alliance Data will provide co-brand and private label credit card services including account acquisition and activation; receivables funding; card authorization; credit card issuance; statement generation; remittance processing; customer service functions; and marketing services to Gander Mountain. Alliance Data will also build and maintain a multi-tender consumer marketing database, and provide analytics, customer segmentation and modeling to further assist Gander Mountain in its multi-channel marketing efforts.

The new private label credit card program will complement Gander Mountain's co-brand credit card program, providing select customer segments with an alternate card choice for making purchases through Gander Mountain's in-store, online and catalog sales channels. The private label credit card will be targeted to customers that meet Alliance Data's traditional credit quality standards.

Currently, Gander Mountain co-brand cardholders earn Rewards Club points for all purchases made on the card - both within and outside of the brand. Customers that open a private label credit card will also receive Rewards Club points for purchases at Gander Mountain. Both co-brand and private label cardholders can redeem their Rewards Club points for dollars-off certificates at Gander Mountain.

'We value the strong partnership that we've forged with Alliance Data and are excited to expand our profitable business relationship,' said Casey Ramm, vice president of Marketing for Gander Mountain.