2007 American Express Wish List

To consumers, the American Express Wish list is an opportunity for cardholders to buy specially marked down products from a list of 40,000 different retail participants such as KitchenAid, Best Buy and Toy R Us. To the company, this is a time to thank card members for their business throughout the year. It's also a chance to entice cardholders to use their American Express card instead of other credit cards when making credit card purchases during the holiday season. The company also wants to boost its affluent membership ranks for households with yearly income from the 100,000's. After all, American Express cardholders spend on average 4 times more than other credit card cardholders.

The American Express Wish List: What's behind the strategy.

Many credit card companies launch promotions such as car and home giveaways, and American Express doesn't want to be left out so they will launch their wish list promotion on November 27, at 10:00 a.m. and end it on December 13, at 7:00 p.m. So in order to be in the fun, the company offers cardholders a chance to participate in its promotion called MyWish List Deals.

The incentives include super-low prices on sought after items. The best deals are for products that are only offered on one day such as the Panasonic 42" 1080p HD Plasma TV, retails for $1999 but the wish list price is $700. The Xbox Elite Game system and five games retails for $649.99 but the WishList price is $300 and available on December 11.

There are four ways to participate.

1) Hot products listed 3 times a day -- very limited quantities of high demand products offered on a first come first serve basis.

2) Featured products offered 24 hours seven days a week while supplies last-new items are added though out the program.

3) Wish Certificates to be used on inventory released three times a day. These certificates offer savings up to 255 off.

4) Exclusive merchant offers from top-name merchants.

It's not unusual for a company to try to go out of their way to distinguish their promotions from the likeness of others'. American Express capitalizes the on the shopping fever that occurs at the end of each year.

This is also an opportunity for each retailer to showcase their products and advertise their name. Most retailers make 50% of their years profits during this time from November to December. So any exposure they get is profitable. All retailers want o exploit the shopping phenomenon.

Many brands like the exposure they get to affluent American Cardholders. The AmEx wish list has works so great in the past almost triple the number of wishes each year, this accounts for a rush in American Express purchases. Not only does the company see an increase in purchases from existing customers but an influx of new cardholders wanting the an AmEx card in order to have access to such deals.

With the chance to get a Porsche Cayman coupe for a mere $5,000, who wouldn't want an American Express card?