Busch Grand National Series

Parker to Help GNC Live Well Celebrate a New Look

CONCORD, N.C. (Oct. 7) - There's a celebration going on at General Nutrition Centers (GNC Live Well) retail stores, and NASCAR Busch Series (NBS) driver Hank Parker Jr. is proud to join the festivities.

GNC Live Well, "The Official Vitamin Store of NASCAR" and primary sponsor of Parker's No. 36 Dodge Intrepid, is celebrating the redesign and grand reopening of its 4,200 stores in the United States. To help raise awareness of the GNC stores' new look, Parker's car will sport a special paint design at NBS events throughout the month of October.

Beginning at this weekend's Little Trees 300 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, Parker's GNC Live Well Dodge will be painted blue with green trim. A sunflower motif is featured on the hood, bumper, and sides of the car, while the tag line on the hood states, "New look. New attitude. New GNC."

The special color scheme, which introduces the same colors GNC is featuring in its new store design, will also be seen at NBS events in Memphis, Tenn., and Atlanta.

"I'm excited about the changes GNC has made to its stores, and to the paint design of my Dodge, " Parker said. "When fans see this new color scheme, I hope it will make them want to visit a GNC store near them to see what other changes GNC has made. I know they'll be excited with what they find."

On Wednesday, Oct. 9, race fans will have a chance not only to see a revamped GNC location, but also to meet Parker and fellow NBS driver Kenny Wallace. On that date, both drivers will be appearing at the GNC Live Well retail store in the Steele Croft Shopping Center on York Rd. in Charlotte from noon-2 p.m. EDT.

Consumers who walk into a GNC franchise or corporate-owned store will immediately see the results of the $20 million redesign, aimed to create a more user-friendly and inviting atmosphere. The comprehensive store redesign is central to the company's mission to help people live their best lives, because it directly addresses consumer concerns about having an inviting atmosphere at GNC stores.

"We redesigned the stores with consumers in mind," said Mike Meyers, president and CEO of GNC. "Our research told us shopping for nutritional supplements can be intimidating. The improved store format enhances GNC's image and the shopping experience by creating a more informative and user-friendly atmosphere for our customers."

The new stores feature distinctly marked organization of different product categories, making it easy for consumers to find items. In addition, stores have an information kiosk and brochure stand that offers detailed information about common health issues and problems.

"We view each GNC store as a resource for health, nutrition and supplement information geared to the everyday consumer," Meyers said. "With our brochures and kiosks, consumers now have a consistent, high quality - and easy to understand - point of reference available to them."

The improved store format will help introduce broad-based, health-oriented consumers to the wide range of products GNC offers and the role those products play in helping people live their best lives, according to Meyers.

The most eye-catching element of the redesign may be the colorful sunflowers that are visible throughout the store and on Parker's No. 36 Dodge. The sunflower has, in fact, been part of GNC's heritage since the early 1970s.

In 1972, GNC developed a pitch for its customer service representatives touting the benefits of "zesties"; otherwise known as sunflower seeds. Sunflower seeds are high in protein, low in carbohydrates, non-fattening, rich in natural vitamins and a great source of minerals.

As part of the celebration marking the store redesign, this fall the company is returning to its roots by handing out 600,000 packets of edible sunflower seeds in an effort to plant the seed of healthy living in all Americans.

GNC is currently the market leader in the nutrition and supplement industry, with nearly 10 percent of the $15 billion market and generating more than $1 billion in sales in FY 2001. The new store format puts GNC in a prime position to capture an even greater market share of the retail supplement market, which is expected to grow significantly as more Americans try to adhere to healthier lifestyles.

To find out more about GNC Live Well and the many health and fitness-related products they offer, or to find one of GNC's 4,200-plus U.S. retail locations near you, log on to www.gnc.com. For more information on the GNC Live Well Racing program, visit www.gncracing.com.

Hank Parker Jr. and his No. 36 GNC Live Well Dodge Intrepid can be seen in the Little Trees 300 NBS race, which will air live, Saturday, Oct.12, on TNT (Turner Network Television and PRN (Performance Racing Network) at 1 p.m. EDT.