New initiatives announced at World Retail Congress bring the fight against global hunger closer to consumers across Europe and the Middle East

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08/10/2013 — PARIS — (BUSINESS WIRE)

MasterCard, http://newsroom.mastercard.com/ (NYSE:MA) today announced that major Middle Eastern retailer Lulu Hypermarket and Auchan Italy have become the latest partners in MasterCard’s campaign in support of fundraising efforts for the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP). Through these fundraising campaigns, MasterCard is leveraging its network, tools and marketing expertise to enable brands and consumers to connect and engage with the issue of hunger worldwide. The campaign simplifies the donation process and provides retailers and consumers more options in how to donate to WFP.

These announcements represent the latest retailers to partner with MasterCard to make donating to WFP easier, and help consumers to do good while going about their daily lives. “These programmes help people help others as they shop, which is an incredibly powerful way to help WFP in their fight against world hunger,” said Ann Cairns, President of International Markets, MasterCard. MasterCard has donated over 1.4 million meals to WFP through similar partnerships in Germany, Poland, Sweden, and the Netherlands.

Lulu Hypermarket’s 45 locations across the United Arab Emirates have agreed in principle to participate in a national campaign with MasterCard and WFP focusing on raising donations to provide school meals for children in Africa. The campaign will provide a donation from MasterCard of US $1 every time a consumer buys a branded MasterCard, World Food Programme and Lulu branded mug at a Lulu Hypermarket. This campaign will also encourage customers to donate directly online to WFP starting in late October.

MasterCard is also launching a new Contactless donation campaign with Auchan in Italy at their hyper-markets in the Lombardy region. For every customer who uses a MasterCard or Maestro contactless card to make a purchase, MasterCard will donate a WFP school meal for a child in Africa.

“Consumers are being increasingly drawn to companies that care. Through these new retail partnerships we’re announcing today we continue to demonstrate just how powerfully WFP’s mission resonates with both retailers and shoppers,” said Ann Cairns, President of International Markets, MasterCard. “By integrating the opportunity to give at the point of purchase we are able to leverage our existing partnerships to drive innovative and inclusive fundraising at point of purchase, as part of our broader partnership with WFP, are a great way for MasterCard to use its network of merchants and consumers to work towards achieving our shared goal of a world without hunger.”

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About MasterCard

MasterCard (NYSE: MA), www.mastercard.com, is a technology company in the global payments industry. We operate the world’s fastest payments processing network, connecting consumers, financial institutions, merchants, governments and businesses in more than 210 countries and territories. MasterCard’s products and solutions make everyday commerce activities – such as shopping, traveling, running a business and managing finances – easier, more secure and more efficient for everyone. Follow us on Twitter @MasterCardNews, join the discussion on the Cashless Pioneers Blog and subscribe for the latest news on the Engagement Bureau

About WFP

WFP is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. Last year, WFP reached more than 97 million people in 80 countries with food assistance. Follow us on Twitter @wfp_media

About Lulu

Lulu is one of the biggest retail chains in Asia and the biggest in Middle East with 106 outlets in the Cooperation council for the Arab States of the Gulf (GCC) itself. Lulu Group International first opened its first supermarket in Abu Dhabi in the early 1990s. In 2000, the first Lulu Hypermarket1 store opened in Dubai and has since expanded to countries such as Egypt, India and Qatar. Currently Lulu operates in 9 countries and has 106 stores worldwide.

About Auchan Italy

Auchan is one of the leaders of the GDO on an international level. In Italy, Auchan Spa is active since 1989, the year in which the first Ipermercato in Torino was opened.

Today it’s present in France, China, Taiwan, Russia, Hungary, Luxemburg, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain and the Ukraine.

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CONTACT:

APCO team:
Lidia Borisova / Daniella Lebor / Graham Ackerman, +44.207.526.3656
(m) +44.781.854.2377
MasterCardWFP@apcoworldwide.com
or
MasterCard Communications Europe
Cristina Feliu, +34915662524
Mob. +34608249244
cristina_feliu@mastercard.com

KEYWORDS:   United Arab Emirates  United States  Europe  North America  Netherlands  Poland  France  Germany  New York  Africa  Middle East  Sweden  Italy

INDUSTRY KEYWORDS:   Philanthropy  Professional Services  Finance  Children  Retail  Other Philanthropy  Other Retail  Consumer  Fund Raising

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