American Apparel Signs on as SWAGG Merchant

ATLANTA and LOS ANGELES, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Leading mobile commerce enabler Firethorn Holdings, LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Qualcomm Incorporated (Nasdaq: QCOM), today announced that American Apparel (Amex: APP) is the latest retail partner for Firethorn's soon to be released SWAGG(SM) mobile application.  American Apparel joins a growing list of merchants that will accept the SWAGG mobile application in time for the 2010 holiday season.  

"SWAGG will make consumers smarter by allowing them to give and get gift cards, receive personalized offers geared to their individual interests, and keep current with their loyalty programs – all from their mobile device," said Chip Fishburne, vice president of financial and merchant services at Firethorn Holdings.  "Collaborating with American Apparel, a worldwide apparel company, aligns two brands whose consumers live the mobile lifestyle.  The SWAGG mobile application will simplify how consumers transact and interact with the American Apparel brand.  Working with SWAGG will also enable American Apparel to reach its loyal customers anytime, anywhere with the latest offers from their favorite brand."

"We are excited to work with SWAGG as it provides American Apparel with new functionality for our gift card channel," said Stacey Shulman, director of Global IT - Retail at American Apparel.  "We believe that this new distribution channel will bring value to the American Apparel brand and make it more convenient for our consumers to buy, share and send virtual gift cards this holiday season."

SWAGG is Firethorn's direct-to-consumer offering, with "smart" technology that gives consumers the ability to purchase, personalize and exchange gift cards directly from a mobile device.  SWAGG will also provide consumers mobile access to account information, special offers and loyalty programs.  The technology will change the way consumer transact with their favorite brands and shops.  To view a demo of the SWAGG mobile application, log onto http://www.swagg.com/.

About American Apparel

American Apparel is a vertically integrated manufacturer, distributor and retailer of branded fashion basic apparel based in downtown Los Angeles, California.  American Apparel employs approximately 10,000 people and operates over 280 retail stores in 20 countries, including The United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, Ireland, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Israel, Australia, Japan, South Korea and China.  American Apparel also operates a leading wholesale business that supplies high quality T-shirts and other casual wear to distributors and screen printers.  In addition to its retail stores and wholesale operations, American Apparel operates an online retail e-commerce website at www.americanapparel.com.  

About Firethorn Holdings, LLC

Firethorn Holdings, LLC is a crucial link in the mobile commerce ecosystem.  With its mobile domain expertise, Firethorn is creating a fresh and exciting mobile revenue channel that will bridge relationships among consumers, retailers, wireless carriers and financial institutions. Firethorn's innovative technology creates easily accessible, branded and personalized mobile commerce channels that give consumers access to their accounts, offers and transactions while on the go.  For more information about Firethorn, visit www.firethorn.com.

SWAGG enables smart, efficient and rewarding transactions on the go.  SWAGG allows users to purchase, share and exchange gift cards, receive and redeem offers, view loyalty card points or balances, share content and more – straight from the convenience of a mobile device.  SWAGG will be available in time for the 2010 holiday season.  For more information on SWAGG, visit http://www.swagg.com/.

Qualcomm is a registered trademark of Qualcomm Incorporated.  Firethorn is a registered trademark of Firethorn Holdings, LLC.  All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Firethorn Holdings, LLC; Qualcomm Incorporated