Savvy Customers Convert Their Sharper Image Gift Cards Into Big Savings at Brookstone

MERRIMACK, N.H., March 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Guy Amuial said he jumped at the chance to give his Sharper Image gift card to Brookstone and reap big savings on one of Brookstone's most expensive and popular products.

"I was looking at both Brookstone and Sharper Image for a massage chair," said the 31-year-old mortgage broker from Virginia Beach, Va. When he learned Brookstone would convert his $50 Sharper Image gift card into an instant 25 percent discount, he bought two $4,000 uHarmony massage chairs from Brookstone's MacArthur Center store in Norfolk.

"I turned $50 into $2,000," Amuial said, "and Brookstone turned a bad situation into a good one."

David Oberlander, of St. Paul, Minn., made his first-ever visit to Brookstone last week after seeing a news article about the promotion. He and his wife sampled a variety of massage chairs at Brookstone's Mall of America store and used the savings from turning over their Sharper Image gift card to buy one of Brookstone's higher-end models.

"My wife fell in love with (the uHarmony)," said the 52-year-old airline pilot. "I lost $80 on the card but saved $1,000 on the chair."

Amuial and Oberlander are just two of hundreds of savvy customers around the country who have given their Sharper Image gift cards to Brookstone for instant 25 percent savings on store purchases. Brookstone is offering the discount on nearly everything in the store, including massage chairs, Power Plate Acceleration Training machines and iPod accessories, among other products.

Brookstone began converting Sharper Image gift cards, regardless of their value, into 25 percent store discounts after its main competitor announced in late February it had suspended accepting the cards as part of Chapter 11 Bankruptcy proceedings.

Even after Sharper Image resumed accepting gift cards, Brookstone has continued to provide the 25 percent savings to customers who prefer the Brookstone offer to Sharper Image's new policy that requires customers to purchase double the gift-card amount.

Here's how the Brookstone Gift Card Exchange Works:

Customers holding a valid Sharper Image gift card can visit any Brookstone store and relinquish the card to a Brookstone store Associate. Customers, in exchange for turning over the Sharper Image gift card to Brookstone, receive a one-time, 25 percent discount off their entire Brookstone store purchase. The customer must make the Brookstone purchase at the time of relinquishing the Sharper Image gift card. Brookstone is not honoring the value of the Sharper Image gift card but instead is providing the 25 percent Brookstone store discount in exchange for receiving the Sharper Image gift card from the customer. The discount offer is valid for all Brookstone products except Sony, Celestron, Bose, Panasonic and Tempur-Pedic.

Customers can receive additional details about Brookstone's Sharper Image Gift Card Exchange at Brookstone stores or online at www.brookstone.com.

Brookstone, Inc. is an innovative product development and specialty lifestyle retail company that operates 314 Brookstone Brand stores nationwide and in Puerto Rico. Typically located in high-traffic regional shopping malls and airports, the stores feature unique and innovative consumer products. The Company also operates a Direct Marketing business that includes an e-commerce website at http://www.brookstone.com.

Contact: Robert Padgett

               603-577-8097 · rpadgett@brookstone.com