PLEASANTON, Calif. -- Blackhawk Network selected Turkey Hill, Kroger's convenience store banner, as a winner in its sixth annual Hawk Awards in the "Best Promotional Program" category. The provider of prepaid and financial payment products holds the awards each year to recognize exceptional achievement among companies and individuals in the prepaid arena. Winners included card partners and alliance partners.

"Throughout the years, the prepaid industry has continued to grow thanks to the contributions of our many partners that we have the honor to work with," said Blackhawk President Talbott Roche. "The Hawk Awards provide us the opportunity to recognize and celebrate their commitment to innovation and growth, which we continue to see in the prepaid industry."

Turkey Hill was honored as an alliance partner for its aggressive promotion of all telecom handsets from December 2011 through January 2012. Customers who purchased handsets received a discount on fuel purchases. During this period, handset sales increased 10 times, and wireless airtime sales jumped from double-digit losses to positive growth that continues today, according to Blackhawk.

Other retailers recognized with Hawk Awards this year include Safeway, which was honored as an alliance partner in the "Most Innovative Product or Service" category for its Employee PayPower program. Launched in October 2011, the program encourages employees to use a Visa-branded General Purpose Reloadable (GPR) card that carries no upfront purchase fee, and offers free reloads at Safeway stores, free direct deposit and no monthly fees.

The BI-LO supermarket chain also won the Industry Achievement Award for unprecedented dedication to its prepaid programs. It relaunched its Gift Mall 2.0 in early 2011, adding more than 11 touchpoints in each of its 207 locations, and has included gift cards in its fuelperks! discount program, running more than four double fuel points promotion, according to Blackhawk. Additionally, BI-LO has expanded its prepaid options to include GPR cards and telecom products, while supporting marketing efforts with attention-grabbing visuals and displays.