[bc]Lifestyle Choices Adds New Labs[/bc]
April 27, 2004; Pittsburgh, PA - Four new laboratories have joined the Lifestyle Choices private label credit card program as participating laboratories in 2004: Cherry Optical (Green Bay, WI and Melvindale, MI); Optical Resources, Louisville, KY; Dietz Laboratory (Fort Worth, TX); and B&W Optical, Baltimore, MD. This brings the total of participating labs to twenty one.

Lifestyle Choices was launched in 2003 through the Optical Laboratories Association (OLA). The card is designed to allow independent eye care professionals to offer credit options to their patients. Doctors and dispensers who want to offer the card can enroll through participating labs.

“Laboratories are increasingly aware of the need to provide their primary market segment, the independent, with the tools that can allow them to remain competitive in today’s marketplace,” said Tim Fortner, partner in Streamline Communications, the company that is marketing the GE Retail Consumer Finance backed private label card. “The Lifestyle Choices card is a major step in that direction. The large optical chains are offering private label credit to their customers; shouldn’t the independent provide their customers with the same level of service?”

“We need to aggressively pursue anything that makes it easier for patients to purchase the eyewear they want and need,” said Adam Cherry of Cherry Optical, Green Bay, WI. “In my opinion, the Lifestyle Choices plan is the most important concept our accounts can embrace to compete and ensure their livelihood in today’s competitive optical market”, said Dale Parmenteri, vice-president of Balester Optical, “which is why we were one of the first labs to support Lifestyle Choices”.

Lifestyle Choices is marketed by Streamline Communications, a marketing services company specializing in the optical business. For more information or to see a list of participating laboratories, visit www.lifestylechoicesplan.com.