Vitamin Shoppe Launches Vendor Incubation Program
The Vitamin Shoppe is looking to facilitate the discovery of new brands and innovative products through a vendor incubation program. Launchpad, as the Secaucus, N.J.-based retailer has dubbed the program, is meant to introduce emerging products and brands to shoppers through its relationships with vitamin and supplement brands, the company said in a press release. The company highlighted some of the brands it has launched, including Garden of Life, which grew out of a 20-year relationship to be the top brand in the natural products industry today.
Total Retail's Take: Vitamin Shoppe is being proactive in building strong relationships with its vendor and brand partners through the launch of an incubation program. With the growth in brands selling their products direct to consumer (D2C), traditional brick-and-mortar retailers such as Vitamin Shoppe must work to make it attractive for brands to want to partner with them. An incubation program, which includes guidance, resources and support for the vendors partaking in it, figures to help Vitamin Shoppe strengthen relationships with the brands it sells, and in the process deter them from selling D2C. That approach ultimately reduces competition in the marketplace for Vitamin Shoppe, providing a financial benefit for Launchpad.
