Alas! Another Ingenious Idea That Isn't Mine!

A friend of mine recently informed me of a business move made by the creators of everyone's favorite "Coinstar". As if the original idea of the Coinstar machine wasn't ingenious enough, they've gone and caused business professionals everywhere to slap their foreheads once again with a universal inner-voice resounding, "It's so simple, yet... so genius!"

So, Coinstar has agreed to remove the usual 8.9 cent per dollar coin-cointing fee if the customer opts to receive their payment in the form of a "gift card" from that Coinstar center's merchant. They have also developed a "gift card mall" program, that offers merchants a turnkey solution to providing customers with a range of retail gift cards that can be purchased at the POS. Genius! Pure genius.

These brilliant Bellevue-based bastards have affiliated with Stored Value Systems (SVS), a subsidiary of Comdata Corporation, hence adding two distribution channels for SVS' gift card customers, who have been looking for additional distribution channels beyond their in-store delivery systems. The gift card sale and transaction will be processed by SVS and business-boom-bang!

The new frontier in gift card sales is not just boosting traditional sales within a merchant's four walls. Merchants are now looking for ways to get their gift cards in customer hands outside the traditional in-store delivery system. This agreement is a significant milestone in offering more distribution options for this very popular product.

Bob Skiba, SVS executive vice president and general manager

Gift cards are becoming more widly used by consumers as an additional method of retail purchasing. Of course 'Brainstar' already knew that. So, in good Rodeo Flip Off fashion, I salute you genius bastards with both middle fingers.

I'm going to go dig in the sofa for some change so I can get a Starbucks card now. Cheers!