Business
Advantex renews long-term agreement for United Mileage Plus Online Mall
Advantex renews long-term agreement for United Mileage Plus Online Mall.
About this update from Advantex Marketing International Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"\n\n\n\n\nADX: TSX\n\nTORONTO, Aug. 23 /CNW/ - Advantex Marketing International Inc.\n(\"TSX:ADX\") is pleased to announce that an agreement has been signed with\nUnited Airlines to continue the management and development of the Mileage Plus\nShopping Mall program (www.mponlineshopping.com).\n\"We are very pleased with this announcement,\" said G. Randall Munger,\nChairman and Chief Executive Officer of Advantex. \"The Mileage Plus Mall is a\nsignificant contributor to our online business, having grown substantially\neach year since its launch in 2002. We are confident that this growth will\ncontinue as more and more members discover the ease and convenience of earning\nmiles when shopping online at great e-retailers, reaching their reward travel\ngoals faster.\"\nIndustry research confirms that more than 50% of online shoppers now use\nonline shopping malls, versus going directly to merchant sites. This trend\nplaces Advantex at the forefront of the online shopping movement.\nParticipating merchants confirm that the Advantex loyalty online shopping\nmalls are powerful business drivers, offering an effective mix of targeted\ncustomer connectivity, proven sales incentives and supportive direct marketing\ncampaigns.\nAdvantex manages all aspects of the Mileage Plus Mall including mall\ndesign, user interface and technical execution, merchant acquisition and\nmanagement, award calculation and processing systems, analytics and reporting,\nand a portion of consumer marketing. Throughout the year, Advantex develops\nand promotes bonus mile promotion offers from participating retailers, keyed\nto major gift giving seasons and occasions.\n\"Planned enhancements to our model over the next year are expected to\nsubstantially increase the value of participating in our online shopping mall\nprograms for online shoppers, participating e-retailers, and our airline\npartners,\" said Mr. Munger.\nThe online retail market is stronger than ever, with more growth on the\nhorizon. Consumer spending online grew to $89 billion in 2004, a 24% increase\nover the previous year. Statistics also showed a 31% increase in the number of\nonline shopping transactions from the 2003. Industry analysts estimate that\nonline sales will climb to approximately $110 billion in 2005, continuing this\ndouble-digit growth trend.\n\nAbout Advantex Marketing Internationa...