L.L. Bean's corny gift card

By Leo Jakobson
IncentiveMag.com

L.L. Bean has recently added a gift card to its product offerings. While the Freeport, Maine-based catalog merchant is well behind some competitors in this regard, the company would not have it any other way. Standard gift cards—like debit and credit cards, are largely made of PVC, a very useful and common plastic, but one that does not biodegrade and is considered very unfriendly by environmentalists. That's why L.L. Bean's new card is made out of corn.

In fact, the availability of corn-based cards, made by Louisville, Ky.-based Comdata Stored Value Solutions (SVS), is the reason L.L. Bean is offering gift cards, says Andrew Dodge, senior manager of national accounts for L.L. Bean.

"We would not produce a plastic gift card," says Dodge, noting the company's long connection to the outdoors and commitment to environmentally sound business practices. The firm's company policy reflects this: "We sell products that enhance our customers' relationships with the outdoors and continually seek to minimize the adverse impacts that producing, marketing and distributing these products have on the environment," their Web site reads.

Keith Sorrels, senior vice president of sales and marketing at SVS, says the corn-based cards are tough enough to stand up to wear and use a magnetic stripe just like any other gift or credit card. "Lots of companies, especially in Europe, want something biodegradable," Sorrels says. "Some companies in the U.S. feel the same way, because of company philosophy or to attract environmentally minded consumers." While he wouldn't identify SVS's customers, Dodge confirmed that L.L. Bean is among them.

Bob Skiba, executive vice president of Comdata SVS, notes, "Gift cards made from corn require less fossil fuel to manufacture, are made from an abundant and annually renewable resource and are identical in look and feel to traditional plastic gift cards."

L.L. Bean's gift cards are available in any value, and the company will soon offer clients a way to personalize the cards with a logo. Volume discounts are available.