It seems that lately all you read about is the economy, the value of the dollar, and these darn rebate checks!  Well, I am no help, because now I am posting as well on the same topic, but in a slightly different light.  I want to know how rebate checks will help retailers and how smaller retailers can use these checks to their advantage and get their customers to spend them at our stores!

Recently I found an article on Yahoo business titled "Stretch Your Stimulus Check at Sears and Kmart".  This enticed me and so I read on.  Basically Sears Company has come up with an elaborate plot to obtain their customers rebate checks.  Here is how there scheme works -

"When customers bring their stimulus checks to a Sears or Kmart cash register, they can convert the amount of the check into gift cards, plus receive a bonus gift card worth an additional 10 percent. To be eligible, the amount of gift cards purchased must be equal to the full value of the stimulus check."

Now, I had two reactions to this.  On the one hand I thought it was smart and it got my creative juices flowing on what type of promotion I could do for my store in order to encourage customers to spend their rebate checks on wine!  On the other hand, I thought Sears is being pretty risky and irresponsible I would say by demanding the full amount of the rebate check in order to benefit from the 10% free promotion. 

I'm not sure many will go for this, being that they have to spend their entire check with Sears.  And, almost more importantly, I'm not sure during these rough economic times it is socially responsible of Sears to encourage consumers to spend their entire rebate checks.  I mean, yes it will help us retailers and our business, but these checks were meant to help boost the economy and help struggling Americans with their debt.

After reading this I have thought of my own ideas to encourage spending, but by no means the entire check.  I have thought of a few promotion ideas about tithing - kind of tongue and cheecky with a Sunday special; using 10% of your rebate check as a wine tithe to the God of Wine on Sundays!

I am trying to find other ways to encourage my customers to think of us when they open their rebate checks next month, but I also want to encourage my customers to pay off credit card debt and save...so that they can continue to be customers throughout the year as opposed to going bankrupt after some time! So, what are you doing to incentivize your customers to spend their rebate checks with you?