Crush is the word that came to mind as I navigated Hall E, the lower level of Natural Products Expo West, in Anaheim, CA, in early March. This is where newer companies exhibit, some launching at the show. The aisles were packed, something I expected since hotels had sold out...
A recent trend popping up in health food is that of boxed snacks sent to customers’ doors on a monthly basis. Online-based snack companies are packaging dried fruits, seeds, nuts and other nutritious goodies and shipping them out to their customers each month. Some pre-made packages come in themes like...
A few years ago, an independent natural products retailer with several stores got a new point-of-sale system. Because they had been ordering manually, going from store to store on different days of the week, the owners were very excited that they would be able to remotely track products and sales,...
With so many different trends popping up in nutrition, it may be hard to discern which diet programs are just out for their 15 minutes of fame and which are here to stay. It’s safe to say that one diet plan, however, will not be going away any time soon;...
Insights from the 36th Annual Retailer SurveyWhat distinguishes a natural products store from all other retailers? More than anything else, I believe we are aligned by a shared ingredient standard; we endeavor to offer only high-quality, clean ingredients. As a competitive difference in the marketplace, this standard, above all else,...
Sharing a combined 100 years of professional experience, an Expo East panel of retailers shared ideas on how independent natural products retailers can continue to compete successfully not only with other independents, but also with Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, conventional supermarkets, Wal-Mart and other big-box stores, and even Internet...
Sharing a combined 100 years of professional experience, a Expo East panel of retailers shared ideas on how independent natural products retailers can continue to compete successfully not only with other independents, but also with Whole Foods Market, Trader Joe’s, conventional supermarkets, Wal-Mart and other big-box stores, and even Internet...
I once had a wart on my finger, and a good natural products retailer friend of mine suggested liquid selenium, which cleared it up within days. My business has warts, too. My desk can be messy, I am behind on my reading and there are many more opportunities to take...
Running a successful retail outlet involves more than just carrying the right merchandise; you need to create a calm and inviting atmosphere for consumers. There’s nothing worse than overwhelming a potential customer with the layout of your store. That’s why many retail outlets are turning to feng shui. An ancient...
In my July 2013 Merchandising Insights column, I outlined a strategy to help independent natural products retailers create more competitive retail pricing while preserving healthy profit margins. The strategy rests on identifying vendors—usually direct vitamin lines—that offer ongoing wholesale purchase discounts. Several of you subsequently contacted me to discuss pricing,...
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