Piggybacking on the success of last year's promotion, the Willow Glen Business and Professional Association is bringing back its virtual Easter egg hunt to the association's website.

Last year Posey Garden Florist owner Kay Wolf came up with the idea to jazz up the downtown website by selling 20 Easter eggs to local merchants as a promotional tool to encourage customer shopping downtown. The merchants will offer coupons, which customers locate through an Easter egg 'hunt' on the Willow Glen website.

The eggs will be "loosely hidden" throughout the website. When users visit the website and click on an egg, a printable coupon for discounts or freebies from downtown merchants appears. The website will randomly sort coupons with each new visit or whenever a page is refreshed. To spice up the promotion, some eggs are adorned in sunglasses, ballerina costumes, barbecue props and baby bonnets.

Signed and Sealed owner and new Willow Glen Business and Professional Association board member Greg West took over the website's management this year and said things already look promising, with website visitors signing up for notification of promotional events like the Easter egg hunt.

West said the association is encouraging merchants to offer a two-for-one deal or 10 percent off merchandise.

Willow Glen Books owner Cathy Adkins said the store will be participating again this year, offering a 15 percent coupon that will not expire until 2004. Hicklebee's Childrens Books owner Valerie Lewis said her store also plans to offer a discount coupon on purchases.

Mann's Jewelers will also participate in the event, offering a free jewelry-cleaner coupon. And The Nest, a new interior design store in downtown on Lincoln Avenue, will offer a 20 percent coupon, which can be applied toward the purchase of any item.

Phyllis Jung, owner of On the Avenue, another business new to Lincoln Avenue, said she decided to participate because it sounded like a good idea.

Jung said that if people bring in the "egg" coupon for On the Avenue, "You get free earrings with a $50 purchase."

The Grapevine's owner Cara Finn said a dozen merchants have already signed up to participate and more are expected.

The promotion is scheduled to run April 2 to April 16 at www.downtownwillowglen.org.