This is the final installment in a miniseries about how Bloomfield-area sports shops are stepping up their games with unique and creative offers this holiday season.

On Monday: We featured The "12 Days of Holiday Cheer" event underway at the Bloomfield Sports Shop.

On Wednesday: Bloomfield Hills-based Summit Sports Inc., which operates www.Skis.com and www.Snowboards.net, joined in the national free shipping day to offer consumers a break if shipping through the continental United States this holiday season.

Today: Despite being a local institution when it comes to local athletic gear and training for more than five decades, The Varsity Shop has never formally rewarded customers for their loyalty. Until now.

Just in time for the holiday shopping season, owner Marc Secontine said the store is offering a customer-loyalty reward program that gives their customers cash back on accumulated purchases within a year's time.

"Being in business for 57 years we know our best customers and we're looking at ways to serve them better," Secontine said. "We wanted to give back to the customers that are loyal to us."

Customers will receive the following by accruing purchases over a year:

• $10 store credit with $100 in purchases.
• $30 store credit with $250 in purchases.
• $70 store credit with $500 in purchases.
• $110 store credit with $750 in purchases.
• $160 store credit with $1,000 in purchases.