Green Stamps Go Digital

By
<A HREF="mailto:corey.goldman@abcnews.com">M. Corey Goldman</A>
January 6, 2006, 1:34 AM ET
2 min read

N E W   Y O R K, Aug. 28, 2001 -- You can't lick 'em, but you can certainly click 'em: S&H Green Stamps are mounting a comeback via the Web.

Despite the recent demise of online currency companies Flooz.com and Beenz.com, the stamps, an ancestor of frequent-flier miles, have been reinvented for the information age in a company called S&H greenpoints.com.

Greenpoints.com is the subsidiary of Sperry & Hutchinson, known to millions of Americans simply as S&H. The 105-year-old company invented what became commonly known as S&H Green Stamps and, since that time, has rewarded Americans with more than $10 billion in merchandise.

Each stamp had a pale green background embellished by a jaunty red "S&H" logo, a serial number and fine print that read "Value 1 2/3 mills." The stamps, which for a time in the mid-'60s boasted a higher circulation than U.S. Post Office stamps, never expire and are still in circulation.

The stamps have been redeemed for more than $10 billion in merchandise, from toasters to silver tea sets.

Flooz You Can't Use

Earlier this summer, Lowes Foods introduced the greenpoints system in its chain of grocery stores. The way the program works is this: When you buy groceries, the cashier scans your greenpoints card. For every dollar spent, you earn 10 greenpoints. Plus, you get extra bonus points for enrolling and for buying selected items.

Consumers can also redeem their points online at www.greenpoints.com for products ranging from movie tickets or long-distance phone cards to a pocket screwdriver or a even a camcorder kit.

And that's all at a brick-and-mortar merchant. In cyberspace, shoppers can earn points purchasing from Borders.com, SmarterKids.com and 60 other merchants — provided that they reach the sites through the greenpoints portal.

Baby boomers may recall Green Stamps fondly. An entire Brady Bunch episode was devoted to the stamps, which the Brady kids fought over and eventually used to purchase a television set. And Andy Warhol immortalized them in several of his pop-art paintings.