Fresh & Easy Relaunches Popular Design-A-Bag Contest

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., April 5, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market today relaunched its Design-A-Bag contest, inviting Fresh & Easy customers to design and vote on the grocer's next reusable bag. Customers can submit their original bag designs at www.freshandeasy.com/designabag through May 15th. Based on feedback Fresh & Easy has expanded the contest this year to anyone 13 years of age or older in Arizona, California and Nevada, so creative students have an opportunity to participate.

Last year's Design-A-Bag contest generated more than 1,300 design submissions from customers and 24,000 votes by 'friends of fresh&easy' – customers who have signed up to receive the latest news about the company along with exclusive offers at www.freshandeasy.com/friends. Last year's limited-edition winning design was launched in stores earlier this year and was a coveted item for customers.

"Our first Design-A-Bag contest was a huge hit and customers loved the great design that won, so we're excited to bring back the contest this year," said Roberto Munoz, Fresh & Easy Director of Neighborhood Affairs. "We believe that offering affordable – and hip – reusable bag options will continue to encourage customers to use them even more."

Submissions will be reviewed by a panel of judges who will select up to 10 finalists based on originality and creativity. The winning bag design will be chosen by friends of fresh&easy from June 21st through July 10th. Finalists will each receive a $100 Fresh & Easy gift card and the winning designer will win a year's worth of free groceries.*  

The Design-A-Bag contest is part of a broader effort at Fresh & Easy to encourage the use of reusable bags. Today, the company also launched a reusable bag giveaway in celebration of Earth Day where customers can receive a free canvas bag through April 22nd when they spend $20 or more. The special Earth Day coupon for the free reusable bag can be found on Fresh & Easy's Facebook fan page www.facebook.com/freshandeasy.**  

*A value of $5,000.

**Canvas bag valued at 99-cents.

About Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market

Fresh & Easy operates more than 170 stores in California, Arizona and Nevada. In addition to fresh prepared meals, meats and produce, Fresh & Easy offers everyone's favorite national brand products and household items, all at unbelievably low prices. The grocer's popular fresh&easy brand products have no artificial colors or flavors, no added trans fats, no high-fructose corn syrup, and only use preservatives when absolutely necessary.

On average, Fresh & Easy stores use 30% less energy than a typical supermarket, which helps customers save money – and also helps the environment. Fresh & Easy uses LED lighting in external signs and freezer cases, offers customer recycling in every store and uses advanced refrigeration and freezer units to cut back on energy usage. The company also recycles or reuses all of its display packaging.

Fresh & Easy is a pilot member of the LEED Volume Certification Program, demonstrating its commitment to build sustainable buildings, and also has the most currently certified GreenChill stores in the nation. The company has also voluntarily joined the California Climate Action Registry and The Climate Registry to disclose its greenhouse gas emissions. At its distribution center, Fresh & Easy invested $13 million in a 500,000 square foot solar roof installation – one of the largest in California.  

For more information about Fresh & Easy, visit www.freshandeasy.com. Also follow the company on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/fresh_and_easy and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/freshandeasy.  

SOURCE Fresh & Easy Neighborhood Market