Retail Council of Canada Welcomes New Gift Card Rules for B.C.
Retailers Ready to Work with Province to Implement New Legislation

Vancouver, April 2, 2008 – Retail Council of Canada (RCC) is welcoming new provincial legislation that will prohibit expiry dates on retail gift cards sold in B.C.

"Retail gift cards are a relatively new phenomenon, but they are growing in popularity every day," said Max Logan, Retail Council of Canada's B.C. Director of Government Relations. "With approximately $3.5 billion in gift card sales in Canada last year, it's important to make sure that B.C. consumers are getting full value for their money.

"The needs of the customer are always top of mind for retailers, and will always take precedence. These new rules will protect the interests of customers, while still allowing retailers to continue to grow this new and vibrant part of their business."

RCC made a number of submissions to the B.C. government on the subject of potential gift card legislation. With gift cards impacting many facets of retail, including customer service, payment systems and accounting, the need to avoid any unnecessary complications from the new legislation was a priority for retailers.

"We certainly appreciate the fact that the Province consulted widely on this legislation and took the time to understand the needs of retailers," said Logan. "Retail sales and domestic demand help to keep the B.C. economy strong and we wanted to make sure that any new rules could be implemented smoothly and efficiently."

Logan also welcomed the Province's move to harmonize with similar rules recently enacted in Ontario and Manitoba. "Many retailers with operations in B.C. also have stores in Western Canada, or across the country, and making sure that they need to comply with a single set of clear standards will keep costs down and make sure B.C. retailers are operating on a level playing field."

Retail Council of Canada (www.retailcouncil.org) is the Voice of Retail. It is a not-for-profit association representing more than 40,000 stores of all retail formats, including independent merchants, regional and national mass and specialty chains, and online merchants. As the Voice of Retail, RCC speaks for an industry that employs more than two million Canadians and contributes approximately $390 billion in annual sales to the Canadian economy.

Media Contact:
Max Logan
Director, British Columbia
(604) 601-5619 or (604) 787-7966 (cell)