Harry Potter and the Retailer Coupon Program

Beginning June 21, stores participating in Scholastic Book Fair's Retailer Coupon Program can accept customer certificates in exchange for copies of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Each customer, who paid full retail price for the book at a Scholastic school book fair between late March and the end of May, received a collectible baseball cap and a certificate that will allow the pick-up of preordered copies of Order of the Phoenix at participating retailers.

Retailers participating in the Coupon Program will soon be receiving an update from Michael Jacobs, Scholastic's senior vice-president, trade division. The update will include a letter outlining the information and promotional material Scholastic will be providing accounts and the most up-to-date answers to Frequently Asked Questions about the program, which are also available on Scholastic's Harry Potter Bookseller Desk for retailers and distributors at www.scholastic.com/custsupport/booksellers/hpv.htm.

Jacobs' letter highlights the following points:

• Over 80 percent of customers polled plan to redeem their certificates at a participating retailer and to pick up the preordered copy in the store. Scholastic will reimburse booksellers for the collected certificates according to the program guidelines. No money will change hands.
  
• After June 1, Scholastic will provide each participating retailer the number of certificates sold in that area, by geographical location. Included in the mailing will be a tent sign announcing that the participating store accepts Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix Book Fair Certificates.
  
• All participating retailers will receive 20 exclusive collectible Order of the Phoenix baseball caps, double the original quantity announced.
  
• Scholastic encourages booksellers to welcome customers from the book fairs to all special promotional events held for the book's release. Scholastic Book Fair customers may be new to a store and may well become repeat shoppers if made to feel welcome.
  

Over 3,500 retailers have signed up to participate in the Retailer Coupon Program. The complete list of participating retailers by state is available on Scholastic's Web site at www.scholastic.com/bookfairs/harrypotter. In addition, a list of independent bookstores participating in the program is available on ABA's Web site at www.bookweb.org/read/6187.

To read Michael Jacobs' letter to retailers, go to www.scholastic.com/custsupport/booksellers/hpvletter.htm.