ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., March 24, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Recognized as a “Top Ten Mover and Shaker in Retail,” Karen Sales has joined the leadership team at SKUx as Senior Vice President of Digital Strategy & Channel Partnerships.“I am thrilled to join an incredible leadership team at SKUx that is delivering innovative and extremely valuable retail solutions,” Sales said. “I’ve spent my entire career seeking to build value for my clients and partners. This new solution will solve much of what they’ve been waiting for. When you truly understand the technology that SKUx has developed, you realize it holds the potential to transform our industry, unlocking billions of dollars in value back to retailers and brands.”SKUx is a global FinTech company utilizing smart, secure, one-time-use digital incentives to drive incremental and directed spend to retailers. The company’s patent-pending SaaS (software as a service) technology offers cutting edge payment solutions to drive engagement, retention and awareness for retailers and brands and is setting a new standard for digital incentive programs across the industry.Karen Sales BackgroundKaren Sales’ career has included brand sales, customer strategy, digital media sales, and shopper marketing leadership roles for companies such as Coty, Sara Lee Apparel and Foods, and Quotient. In her most recent role, Karen served as VP of National and Shopper Marketing at Albertsons Companies, where she managed a team of shopper marketers and agencies tasked with supporting CPG vendors in their efforts to amplify targeted in store and digital marketing efforts across the chain.  Karen was also instrumental in managing digital partnerships and launching Albertsons’ Performance Media powered by Quotient. A widely respected leader in the consumer goods and retail industries, Karen is globally recognized as a thought leader in retail, shopper marketing, eCommerce, digital and promotion activation having managed hundreds of millions in promotional budgets.Today, Karen participates in several organizations supporting women in the workplace and community, including NEW (Network of Executive Women), and was Co-Founder of WIIN (Women’s Inspiration and Inclusion Network) for Albertsons Companies.  Karen is a P2PI (Path to Purchase Institute) faculty member and has been recognized in the industry multiple times, to include Progressive Grocer’s 2016 Top Women in Grocery and 2017 Women of Excellence – Collaboration awards. In 2018, she was named by Retail Info Systems a “Top Ten Mover and Shaker in Retail”, as well as being inducted into the P2PI’s 2018’s Shopper Marketing Hall of Fame, which recognizes top retail industry leaders who have made a significant mark across the industry.   Karen has an MBA from University of Oregon and a BA in Business Leadership from University of Puget Sound. She resides in Boise, Idaho, with her husband Steve, two teenage children Courtney and Henry, and bulldog Pippa. SKUx Prepares to “Unveil and Scale”SKUx has created an entirely new category of digital promotional incentives – known as SKU Incentives™ — and has been quietly piloting its technology with select retailers, mobile platforms and brands over the past year. The company is now preparing to open the technology beyond those initial clients to a much greater ecosystem across Specialty Retail, eCommerce, Big Box Retail and Grocery.Part of the company’s patent-pending capabilities lay in its ability to drive a smart, unique, secure, one-time use, serialized digital incentive across the entire retail landscape. The entire incentive process, from issuance to redemption, can be managed in real-time for SKUx partners and is fully trackable, thus eliminating fraud. The technology also offers near real-time reconciliation and settlement of funds for stakeholders.These proprietary capabilities have enabled the growing company to already secure agreements and alliances with multibillion-dollar companies at an impressive pace since its formal launch in October 2018.“SKUx can direct spend to a retailer with a flip of a switch,” Sales said. “And they can guarantee a brand will never go over budget. Think about that. With the current market uncertainties affecting all retail, companies will be focused on ROI more than ever before. This is an enormous opportunity given the exact capabilities the SKUx product offerings can provide.”The company’s co-founder and executive vice president, Bobby Tinsley, added, “We are excited and honored to be working with a proven leader like Karen Sales. Her knowledgeable insights and experience from organizations such as Albertsons and Quotient will open tremendous opportunities for SKUx. As we always say, to build an incredible company you need incredible people; SKUx is very blessed.”About SKUxSKUx is a Tampa, Fla.-based FinTech company utilizing smart, secure, one-time use digital incentives to drive incremental and directed spend to retailers. The company’s patent-pending SaaS technology gives on-demand solutions for consumer engagement and is setting a new standard for digital incentive programs across the industry. Please visit www.skux.io to learn more.Bobby Tinsley
+1 813-380-1863
[email protected]A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f1346a91-8c23-49e0-aa9f-d3a48341a3ff