BERKELEY, Calif., Jan. 13, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Expanding its innovative FitMarket program, launched in stores and online in September 2015, Andronico's Community Market is making good on its commitment to "Bring Healthy Back" with an exclusive launch partnership with FitBank, a new, mobile rewards program for customers and employees. FitBank is part of fitness app Sweat.Works Global Gym.
Customers can visit Andronico's in the Sunset (Irving St. at Funston) on January 16 to participate in the store's FitMarket Faire, the specialty food chain's fitness and health program for its largest community. FitMarket visitors will find coaches, nutritionists, chefs and fitness professionals, all offering support to customers and employees in the Sunset store (with other locations to follow in the coming weeks) and on the Andronico's website.
"We are excited about introducing the latest expansion of FitMarket to our community of customers, employees, partners and suppliers with Sweat.Works Global Gym and FitBank," said Suzy Monford, Andronico's CEO. "FitMarket is rooted in our determination to help community members create balance between how they shop, cook, eat, exercise and re-charge. At our January 16 launch we will offer free in-store health and nutrition counsel, along with fitness guidance and demonstrations from experts."
Andronico's invites community members to join FitBank via registration on www.Andronicos.com. Users of the free Sweat.Works Global Gym app will find their own FitBank account for tracking their workouts and earning credits.
Through FitMarket, Andronico's is using FitBank to offer customers store gift cards and coupons for free products. Users' workouts will earn them credits in their FitBank account—all stored and tracked in the user's app dashboard. While Andronico's employees can cash in FitBank credits for an extra paid day off or gift card equivalent to a day's pay, customers and the public will be rewarded with coupons for health and fitness products, or with Andronico's store gift cards. And, for users that achieve the "Sweat 16" goal of 16 workouts in any 4-week period, Andronico's will sweeten the incentive with $100 in free produce—$25 per week for the following four weeks.
FitBank is a fully customizable incentive program embedded in the Sweat.Works Global Gym app. Companies, communities and social groups can use FitBank to capture fitness metrics, record workouts and set up fitness challenges for groups. Along with FitBank, Sweat.Works Global Gym features a free "sweat search" engine. Built initially to serve the San Francisco Bay Area, Sweat.Works users can find the nation's biggest database of gyms—more than 50,000 of them—organized by their distance from the app user.
Supporters of Andronico's FitMarket program include author Michael Pollan and the Bauman College of Holistic Nutrition, based in Berkeley. Their publications will be the source of healthy eating and living tips found on signs around Andronico's stores that aim to educate and inspire customers to make healthy choices as they shop. Monford, a holistic health coach certified by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition, has led the team in selecting the useful and fun health and fitness tips posted throughout the stores.
"Join us at Andronico's Sunset store on January 16 for fun and useful educational health coaching tips from top experts, and get started earning rewards for your commitment to fitness," Monford said.
"This is a program aimed at supporting our community. That's why we have included such local partners as 24 Hour Fitness, Yoga Kula in Berkeley, and OrangeTheory Fitness in Walnut Creek," said Bridget Kwok, director of marketing for Andronico's. "FitMarket events are a place for community members to support one another in their healthy living efforts."
Acting as the exclusive Sweat.Works FitBank launch partner, Andronico's continues to pioneer and deliver best-of-class products and customer service, and one of the ways it's doing this is by acting as the exclusive launch partner for Sweat.Works Global Gym's FitBank. Since its founding in 1929, Andronico's has advocated for local and artisanal products, and has sought to promote the health and welfare of its communities with programs including S.E.E.D. (Students and Educators Everyday Discount), and now with FitMarket, the company's new program that integrates fitness and health coaching into its support for health and wellness.
"We want our communities and our Team Mates to enjoy a fit, balanced life," said Monford, who founded the Sweat.Works Global Gym start-up. "We can't give folks more time in the day, the biggest challenge in getting to the gym, but with FitBank rewards, we more than double the ROI on their invested time."
About Andronico's
Born in Berkeley in 1929, Andronico's Community Markets is an eclectic neighborhood grocery store focused on feeding a healthy lifestyle and community through their FitMarket program of in-store and online tips, recipes and services. Offering the widest grocery selection available of natural, local, specialty and classic favorites as well as made-from-scratch meals and treats, their friendly, down-to-earth team of experts are happy to help you find what you want, or discover something new. Andronico's has recently partnered with Instacart for convenient online ordering and home delivery throughout much of the Bay Area, featuring a FitMarket shopping option to help you choose your favorite healthy foods. Their Foodshift program helps redirect waste to feed those in need.