Rogers Media-owned Loulou magazine has held its shopping extravaganza, aptly called “Shop ‘Til You Drop,” on streets in Toronto and Montreal, with the recent addition of a Vancouver event, for going on three years now.

For this year’s retail therapy event, in which Canadians attend in-store parties and get hooked up with purchase deals, the magazine has partnered with MasterCard as its title sponsor, and has created a number of incentives for consumers to go on a shopping spree.

To motivate consumers to use MasterCard, the brand has set up a photo booth at stores, a front-row VIP area for members to watch Canadian musician Lights perform at the event, a stylist suite at the Gap, and branded gifts and tote bags to be given to consumers when they purchase products over a certain amount.

Access to these benefits is limited to cardholders only, Lilian Tomovich, head of marketing, MasterCard Canada, tells MiC.

“We thought that partnering with the magazine would be a great opportunity to help us drive MasterCard preference and usage at point of sale,” says Tomovich. “If you are not using the card, you are missing out on a lot of the benefits.”

She adds that MasterCard is focusing on promoting to several key consumer segments, such as working women.

“Working women, whether they have children or not, generally have more disposable income,” she says. “This is a real opportunity for us to speak to that sweet spot of 25- to 35-year-old women who are into fashion and have that discretionary money to spend.”

The block party made its first stop on Bloor St. in Toronto last night (it stops in Montreal on Sept. 22 and Vancouver on Oct. 6) and provides  the opportunity for consumers to purchase products for a discount of up to 30% at sponsor retail stores.