Dive Brief:
- The Vitamin Shoppe has launched a shop-in-shop concept dubbed Hometown Stores that features areas of at least 200 square feet devoted to prominent wholesale brands that have headquarters or a strong presence in the same area.
- Five such shop-in-shops have already opened: Los Angeles; Houston; Sandy, Utah; Frisco, Texas; and Paramus, New Jersey. A sixth Hometown Stores concept is set to open in April in Port St. Lucie, Florida. More in-store concepts are scheduled to open over the course of the year, according to a company press release.
- To date, branded sports nutrition partners include Gorilla Mind, Bucked Up, RYSE and EHPlabs. Raw Nutrition will launch next month and new partners will be added over the ensuing months, per the company.
Dive Insight:
The Hometown Stores allow brands to offer an immersive experience to customers through expanded product ranges, exclusive merchandise such as apparel and accessories, marketing activations and events, and social content opportunities, according to the release. Shops may also contain refrigerators stocked with energy drinks, protein shakes and hydration beverages.
The Vitamin Shoppe sees the concept as a way for brands known in that region to directly target local consumers.
“These custom-designed, shop-in-shop experiences are a game-changer,” Lee Wright, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe said in a statement. “We’re offering our brand partners a unique opportunity to create dynamic retail showcases right in their own backyards, where they can connect with their most dedicated customers like never before. By expanding their presence within The Vitamin Shoppe, our partners can truly bring their brand stories to life through exclusive product, events, and content – all while reinforcing our stores as the industry’s premier specialty wellness destination.”
The newest Hometown Store coming in April is a Raw Nutrition shop-in-shop that the brand hopes will connect more closely with its base of loyal customers.
“RAW Nutrition partnered with The Vitamin Shoppe to open our very first Hometown Store because it allows us to connect with our roots and the community that supported us from the beginning,” Daniel Vella, Raw Nutrition marketing director, said in an email. “From exclusive product launches and athlete appearances, to in-store demos where customers favorite flavors can be sampled, the space will serve as a hub for fitness enthusiasts and athletes alike.”
The launch of the Hometown Stores comes after The Vitamin Shoppe’s parent company, Franchise Group, filed for Chapter 11 in November, citing about $2 billion of debt.