Albertsons response

(The following letter was sent by Albertsons in response to a consumer complaint about their new card program)

Thank you for your comments on Albertsons Sav.on new Preferred Savings Card. I would like to share with you a few thoughts on why we decided to offer our valued customers this exciting new initiative. To start, we wanted to know what customers would think of our introducing a frequent-shopper card, so we conducted extensive consumer research in the San Francisco-San Jose-Sacramento markets. From this study we learned that a majority of shoppers would be interested in a unique savings and reward program. We subsequently developed Preferred Savings, the mission of which is to provide significant value-added benefits along with terrific prices on thousands of items throughout our stores every week.

Enrollment in Preferred Savings is simple and easy, and your privacy is guaranteed. Albertsons will never disclose your personal information to any other party for their use. Ever, except when compelled by law. If you wish, you may review our company privacy statement available in all of our stores, or conveniently located on our website home page - www.albertsons.com. If you are still uncomfortable giving out personal information, we'll still give you an Albertsons Preferred Savings Card without any of your personal information. However, we do hope that you'll share a little about yourself. This will allow us to reward you for shopping with us. Your name and address allows us to contact you for sweepstakes, to return lost keys and to send you exclusive Preferred Savings Card offers.

Thank you shopping with us and for taking the time to share your opinion. I invite you to reconsider and to sign up for Albertsons Preferred Savings Card. We welcome the opportunity to demonstrate the great savings and special benefits we have to offer.