Retailers sign up for BHF’s Valentine push

The British Heart Foundation (BHF) has signed a series of deals with high street and online retailers to promote its 2006 Valentine Appeal.

The charity is teaming up with Boots, Debenhams, Selfridges and Figleaves.com to sell branded BHF merchandise during the campaign, which will run until the end of February. The charity has also formed a partnership with Thistle Hotels, whereby the chain will donate &£10 to the charity for every booking it receives as part of a promotional campaign next month.

Boots will sell heart-shaped badges at its 1,400 stores, and Debenhams will offer special bouquets of flowers with a percentage of the cost going to the charity.

Online lingerie retailer Figleaves.com will sell special vests with crystal hearts attached to them, and Selfridges will be the exclusive retailer for the BHF T-shirts. The T-shirts will be on sale in its London, Birmingham and Manchester stores.

The BHF has also extended existing agreements with Candis magazine, which will donate money from its subscriptions; Coinstar, an initiative that enables shoppers at supermarkets to donate spare change to coin processing machines; and Shredded Wheat, which will donate &£1 for every token that is sent in from special packs of the cereal.

The BHF aims to raise &£1m during the campaign to fund 30 support nurses and raise awareness of heart disease.