Gap "Sprizes" Vancouver by Turning Robson Street Upside Down

    
    Retailer Announces New Customer Program Pilot Named 'Sprize' that Turns
    the Traditional Shopping Experience on its Head
    

VANCOUVER , Nov. 5 /CNW/ - Traffic came to a standstill today as passersby stopped to see Robson Street transformed. There were upside down cars, trees, fire hydrants, bikes and a hot dog cart lining the street leading to the Gap store at 1121 Robson. The store itself had also been transformed - from the upside down Gap logo out-front, to merchandise and mannequins hanging from the ceilings inside.

The upside-down experience was all part of the launch of an innovative new program being piloted at the ten Gap brand stores in and around Vancouver . The program, called Sprize, offers a very simple, yet radical way to give customers assurance that they will get the best price no matter when they buy and they no longer have to wait for the product to go on sale. It is a complete reversal of how customers shop today and with this pilot, Gap is essentially "turning shopping on its head".

Customers are invited to sign up for free in the store. Once the customer becomes a member, all of the customer's program purchases will be tracked. If the price of any purchased items drops within 45 days after the purchase date, the customer automatically get credited the difference to their Sprize card. Customers can use this 'SprizeMoney' to purchase merchandise in the pilot stores for up to a year from the date of issuance. Only purchases made in the 10 Vancouver area stores qualify for the program.

"Sprize is an innovative idea that builds on the creative legacy of Gap", said Marka Hansen the President of Gap Brand North America . "We're taking away the frustration and worry over buying a product at full price, and then seeing the price drop soon afterwards. Sprize will give our customers the confidence and instant gratification of buying what they want when they want it."

Customers can enrol in the program using handheld devices only in the 10 participating Gap brand stores. When they receive a credit, they'll be notified by email. Customers will also be able to log in to mysprize.com starting in mid-November to monitor their credit balance.

"We are excited to be piloting this program in Vancouver " added Scott Key , Senior Vice President of Customer Relationship Management at Gap Inc. " Vancouver was one of our first retail locations to open outside of the U.S. It's always been a very successful market for Gap and the performance of the SPRIZE program here will inform how and when we roll out SPRIZE to other stores. We think our Vancouver customers are going to appreciate this exclusive sneak peek at the program, and we hope they enjoy the SPRIZE!"

About Gap Inc.

Gap Inc. is a leading global specialty retailer offering clothing, accessories and personal care products for men, women, children and babies under the Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Piperlime and Athleta brand names. Fiscal 2008 sales were $14.5 billion . Gap Inc. operates more than 3,100 stores in the United States , the United Kingdom , Canada , France , Japan and Ireland . In addition, Gap Inc. is expanding its international presence with franchise agreements in Asia, Europe , Latin America and the Middle East . For more information, please visit www.gapinc.com.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: or images and video of the Robson Street transformation, please contact: Paul Marr, Optimum Public Relations, [phone], [email protected]; Louise Callagy, Gap Inc. Media Relations, [phone], [email protected]