Aimia signs agreement with grocery wholesaler and retailer Spartan Stores for loyalty analytics

MONTREAL, Nov. 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ - Aimia Inc. (TSX: AIM), a global leader in loyalty management, today announced that it has signed a consulting and analytical partnership with Michigan-based Spartan Stores.

Through the partnership, Spartan and Aimia will work closely together to leverage and further develop Spartan's customer centric approach to retail. By harnessing data collected from Spartan's 'yes Rewards' cardholders through the Aimia Self-Serve platform, Spartan will provide customers with a more relevant and personalized shopping experience across its network of stores. Spartan's learning in this area can also be leveraged by their broad wholesale customer base, allowing merchandising best practices to be shared across that group.

Spartan plans to work with their wide supplier base; using these detailed insights into customer purchasing habits and behavior to improve ROI and build a stronger, more committed partner network.

The principle that better connections and real relationships create mutually beneficial outcomes is at the heart of Aimia's approach. Consumers can receive information and offers that are more relevant and valuable to them, while businesses can learn more about their best customers, develop long-term customer and supplier loyalty, deploy a more effective and efficient marketing spend, and ultimately make better business decisions by building customer loyalty.

David Buckingham, U.S. President of Aimia's ISS team, says: "We're delighted to be officially partnering with Spartan Stores, a company that is already highly regarded by other retailers in the U.S. We see this as an in-depth relationship and we're very much at the beginning of a long journey together.

"Our businesses share a mutual understanding of the power of customer centric retailing and it's clear that Spartan is already very sophisticated in its development and approach. Working together, we believe that we can achieve Spartan's ambitious goals, transforming their business by harnessing the power of customer insight and by placing the customer at the heart of everything they do."

Larry Pierce, Vice President of Center Store Merchandising at Spartan Stores, says of the partnership: "We have an engaged customer base and are determined to provide them with the best possible shopping experience. We're confident that our in-depth relationship with Aimia will help make that possible.

"Aimia has a first-rate track record in data analytics and has transformed businesses across the globe with their approach to consumer insight and targeted communications. We're truly excited about working with them to develop improved data capabilities and to help us better understand how our customers think."

Notes to editors

About Aimia

Aimia Inc. ("Aimia" or the "Corporation") is a global leader in loyalty management. Employing more than 4,000 people in over 20 countries worldwide, Aimia offers clients, partners and members proven expertise in launching and managing coalition loyalty programs, delivering proprietary loyalty services, creating value through loyalty analytics and driving innovation in the emerging digital, mobile and social communications spaces.

Aimia owns and operates Aeroplan, Canada's premier coalition loyalty program, Nectar, the United Kingdom's largest coalition loyalty program, Nectar Italia and Smart Button a leading provider of SaaS loyalty solutions. In addition, Aimia owns stakes in Air Miles Middle East, Mexico's leading coalition loyalty program Club Premier, Brazil's Prismah Fidelidade, China Rewards - the first coalition loyalty program in China that enables members to earn and redeem a common currency, and i2c, a joint venture with Sainsbury's offering insight and data analytics services in the UK to retailers and suppliers. Aimia also holds a minority position in Cardlytics, a US-based private company operating in card-linked marketing for electronic banking. Aimia is listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX: AIM). For more information, visit us at www.aimia.com.

About Spartan Stores
Grand Rapids, Michigan-based Spartan Stores, Inc. (Nasdaq: SPTN) is the nation's ninth largest grocery distributor with 1.4 million square feet of warehouse, distribution, and office space located in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The Company distributes more than 40,000 private and national brand products to approximately 390 independent grocery locations in Michigan, Indiana and Ohio, and to the Company's 101 corporate owned stores located in Michigan, including Family Fare Supermarkets, Glen's Markets, D&W Fresh Markets, VG's Food and Pharmacy, and Valu Land.

SOURCE AIMIA