BANK OF MONTREAL MOVES INTO STORES
By Adnews Staff
The Bank of Montreal is trying to get closer to its customers. The bank has teamed up with Great Atlantic & Pacific Company of Canada to open branches in A&P and Dominion grocery stores. There will be 20 branches in the grocery stores by the end of the year. This week, the bank opened five Ontario in-store branches in Port Colborne, Hamilton, Mississauga, Toronto and Mississauga. The in-store branches will staff bank employees, have an automated banking machine, an interactive kiosk with Internet banking facilities, online Air Miles reward miles balance inquiries and financial planning tools. In addition, the Bank of Montreal launched a new program this week that involves the stores' Air Miles reward plan. Called Market Plan, the service gives customers a no-fee bank plan for one year and double Air Miles reward miles on grocery purchases in A&P and Dominion outlets. Customers can also earn an extra 100 Air Miles for very $5,000 in a mortgage. These reward miles will then be redeemed for Dominion/A&P grocery certificates on-site. The Bank of Montreal would not reveal advertising plans for the in-store branches or Air Miles promotion. Advertising for the bank is created by Vickers & Benson Advertising of Toronto.