Electronics, Sporting Goods & Tools For The Guy & Grad In Your Life

NORWALK, Conn., June 5, 2007 - Summer is almost here, and that means it’s nearly time for Father’s Day. With that in mind, the father fans at Shoppers Advantage have cobbled together a list of the coolest gadgets for Dad—and some great gift ideas for the recent grads on your list.

"Everybody knows that the key to Dad’s heart - or at least the best gift for his special day - is a gadget that brings out the guy in him," said Michael Lombardo, director of Shoppers Advantage. "The hottest trends are sporting goods, electronics, tools and more."

Total Father’s Day spending, according to a survey from the National Retail Federation, will increase to $9.9 billion this year. On average, Americans will spend $98.34 on good old Dad. The survey found that more than 69 percent would buy cards for their fathers - and other popular gifts include special meals or outings, clothing, gift certificates/gift cards, consumer electronics or computer accessories, tools or appliances, home improvement and gardening equipment and sporting goods or leisure items. Dad doesn’t outdo Mom, however, when it comes to special days - consumers spent $139.14 on average for Mother’s Day this year.

To get the pulse on Father’s Day 2007 and to gauge what we think about our dads, Shoppers Advantage tuned into what kids are saying. According to a recent PBS Zoom TV survey, when asked to compare their Dad to a famous Dad, Homer Simpson was tops with boys, and Mike Brady was tops with girls. Respondents also said if they were Dad, they would most like to receive a homemade gift, followed by a night of peace and quiet and a night out on the town. In terms of names, 79 percent call their father figure "Dad" or "Daddy," only one percent said "Father" and three percent use Dad’s first name.

So with a tip of the hat to Dear Dad, here are the Shoppers Advantage coolest gift ideas:

1. Sporting Goods & Outdoor Equipment ... help Dad be sporty with these great sports brands:Golf Equipment ... complete sets starting at $99 from Knight Golf, Taylor Made, and Dunlop, Wilson, and Callaway. Bikes from Schwinn,& Mongoose.Camping gear and cooking on the road and at home with products from Coleman, Weber, Bushnell , Eureka, and Texsport.


2. Electronics ... give him the best in electronic gadgets:TVs ... Dad would love a new flat panel LCD or Plasma from Toshiba, Sony, Samsung or Sharp.Audio ... on the go with MP3 players - or build-out a killer system for that high-tech TV - with brands including Apple, XM Satellite, Bose, JVC, Panasonic, Sony and Onkyo. Also consider a full line of iPod accessories from Bose and JBL.GPS ... Make sure Dad finds his way home with Garmin, Tom Tom, Magellan, or Audiovox. Digital cameras and camcorders from Canon, Olympus, Panasonic, Sony, Fuji and JVC.


3. Other cool stuff ... give the man in the house something to saw about:Cordless drill and tool sets from Black & Decker, and Skil. Portable room air conditioners to beat the heat.Screen houses and shades for backyard and patio relaxation.Pools to zap the heat on sultry summer days For the recent grads on your list, consider:Laptop prices keep on dropping ... so send them off in style with the latest technology from Toshiba, Sony and HP.Outfit your grad with all the latest computer accessories ... printers, flat panel monitors, speakers.A new iPod or cool i-Accessories like an iHome or JBL docking station.Portable DVD players from Audiovox,Toshiba, and Coby.Electronic games like Nintendo Wii and Sony Playstation. MP3 Players & iPod.Stereo equipment for the car or dorm from Bose, JVC, Panasonic, Sony.
   

About Shoppers Advantage

Shoppers Advantage (1-800-526-4848) is a leading membership-based, toll-free/online shop-at-home service, boasting the buying power of nearly two million members nationwide. Shoppers Advantage provides valuable benefits and low prices on an expansive database of high-quality products from more than 1,200 manufacturers, including popular name brands such as Sharp, GE, Hewlett Packard, Fisher Price and AT&T. Shoppers Advantage offers member confidence in buying with a 200 percent Low Price Guarantee (if a lower price is found within 60 days of purchase, Shoppers Advantage will refund double the price difference), 60-day product return policy if you don't like the product, and product warranty extension for up to two years while membership is active. Shoppers Advantage is offered by Affinion Group, a leader in the membership, insurance and loyalty marketing businesses, providing products and services that touch the lives of millions of Americans.

About Affinion Group

Affinion Group is a leading affinity direct marketer of value-added membership, insurance and package enhancement programs and services to consumers. With more than 30 years of experience, Affinion Group currently offers its programs and services worldwide through more than 5,200 affinity partners. Its diversified base of affinity partners includes leading companies in a wide variety of industries, including financial services, retail, travel, telecommunications, utilities and Internet. Affinion Group also has a growing loyalty solutions operation that administers points-based loyalty programs. Based in Norwalk, Conn., Affinion Group has approximately 3,000 employees throughout the United States and in 14 countries across Europe.

About Affinion Group
As a global leader with nearly 35 years of experience, Affinion Group (www.affinion.com) enhances the value of its partners' customer relationships by developing and marketing valuable loyalty, membership, checking account, insurance and other compelling products and services. Leveraging its expertise in product development and targeted marketing, Affinion helps generate significant incremental revenue for more than 5,300 affinity partners worldwide, including many of the largest and most respected companies in financial services, retail, travel, and Internet commerce. Based in Norwalk, Conn., the company has approximately 3,300 employees throughout the United States and in 10 countries across Europe, and markets in 14 countries globally. Affinion holds the prestigious ISO 27001 certification for the highest information security practices, is PCI compliant and Cybertrust certified. For more company and investor information visit www.affinion.com.