lucy Stores Offer Creative Incentive for Customers to Work Out -- Color Your Fitness Journal, Bring It In

Workout incentives have proven popular with employee health plans, but now a retailer is rewarding its customers with discounts for working out throughout the year. lucy activewear customers can earn lucy merchandise discounts of 10% after six months and 20% after twelve months of logging their exercise sessions in their 2007 Streaming Colors Fitness Journal, and presenting their journal at any lucy store.

St. Paul, MN (PRWEB) February 2, 2007 -- Workout incentives have proven popular with employee health plans, but now a retailer is rewarding its customers with discounts for working out throughout the year. lucy activewear customers can earn lucy merchandise discounts of 10% after six months and 20% after twelve months of logging their exercise sessions in their 2007 Streaming Colors Fitness Journal, and presenting their journal at any lucy store.

"We certainly support our customers in their goals and hope to inspire them to lead an active life," says Crista Lindberg, lucy activewear director of marketing, who conceived of the program along with lucy accessories buyer Sharon Swenson and Streaming Colors Fitness Journal creators Jennifer and Alexis Luhrs. "By adding an incentive at mid-year and year-end, we support her active life not only in the New Year but all year long," adds Lindberg.

The Streaming Colors Fitness Journal uses a unique calendar format that people color in with their positive fitness actions each day, e.g. yellow for a yoga workout, green for eating more veggies, blue for drinking water, and perhaps red to celebrate a sugar-free day. lucy was one of the first retailers to offer the journal in 2005, a year after its introduction. In 2007, a special lucy-branded panel was bound into the cover of the journal, describing lucy's discounts for customers who track their exercise and nutrition habits throughout the year.

"Keeping a food and exercise journal is a proven tool for fitness improvement that's being used in employee incentive programs," says Luhrs Media Company founder and journal author Jennifer Luhrs, 56. "But this is the first time we've heard of a retailer offering its customers an incentive to journal."

Luhrs' daughter Alexis, 28, a loyal lucy shopper, discovered the now 42-store company in 2004 when it was just 15 stores strong, and the lucy store in her area offered a free item to people who brought in their 5K race number. "I knew lucy would be successful selling our journals," says Alexis, "because in addition to offering fun, fashion-forward activewear and accessories, they support and motivate their customers to get out there and truly get moving."

The Streaming Colors Fitness Journal ($15.95) is published by Luhrs Media Company, a small, independent publishing firm located near St. Paul, Minnesota. Founded in response to the alarming rise in childhood obesity, Luhrs Media Co. seeks to develop fun, practical tools to help people avoid lifestyle-related diseases. Streaming Colors is a trademark of Luhrs Media Company. www.streamingcolors.com

About lucy

lucy is a Portland, OR-based lifestyle apparel company for women who value fit, style and performance. lucy isn't a specific person - she lives in all of us as we attempt to live a healthy, balanced life. Life is not only about being at the gym or yoga studio; it's about the everyday routine of multi-tasking errands, activities with family and friends, and taking care of yourself from the inside out. An expert in active ways of life, lucy listens carefully to the needs of women and creates apparel with on-the-go performance and versatility, as well as a healthy dose of style and color. With its own lucy label and exclusive designs from other designers and brands, lucy stands apart and inspires confidence in those who wear the products and visit the stores.

lucy is a privately-held company with investors including Chico's FAS, Inc. and venture capital firms Lone Pine Capital, Maveron LLC, Oak Investment Partners and Sutter Hill Ventures.

The company operates 42 stores in Arizona, California, Colorado, Washington D.C., Illinois, Maryland, Oregon, Texas, Virginia and Washington, and online at lucy.com

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