Secaucus, N.J. — The Vitamin Shoppe®, a leading omnichannel specialty retailer of nutritional products, is strengthening its brand partnerships while redefining the in-store shopping experience in select markets with the launch of its new ‘Hometown Stores’ concept. These retail collaborations pair a local The Vitamin Shoppe store with a top partner brand that has its company headquarters and deep roots in the same metro area — creating a one-of-a-kind destination for brand enthusiasts and the local wellness community.
Each Hometown Store features an enlarged, custom-branded retail space within an existing The Vitamin Shoppe location, where partner brands can showcase expanded product ranges, exclusive merchandise, marketing activations and events and social content opportunities — all tailored to their loyal customer base in the area. The Vitamin Shoppe has teamed up with some of the biggest names in sports nutrition for this initiative, including Bucked Up, EHPlabs, Gorilla Mind, RAW Nutrition and RYSE, with more set to come. (The EHPlabs locations are uniquely dubbed Community Hubs since the brand is headquartered in Australia and has selected two U.S. stores with exceptionally passionate fan bases.)
“These custom-designed, shop-in-shop experiences are a game-changer,” says Lee Wright, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe. “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.”
To date, The Vitamin Shoppe’s Hometown Stores and Community Hubs include the following locations and brand partners:
• Gorilla Mind: The Vitamin Shoppe, 101 North Fairfax Ave., Los Angeles
• EHPlabs: The Vitamin Shoppe, 137 East State Rte. 4, Paramus, N.J.
• EHPlabs: The Vitamin Shoppe, 7009 Highway 6 North, Houston
• Bucked Up: The Vitamin Shoppe, 10515 South State St., Sandy, Utah
• RYSE: The Vitamin Shoppe, 2995 Preston Rd., Frisco, Texas
• RAW Nutrition: The Vitamin Shoppe, 1756 SW St. Lucie West Blvd., Port St. Lucie, Fla. (opening in April 2025)
Each Hometown Store or Community Hub is designed to be a fully immersive brand environment, with prominent retail space of 200 square feet or more for each partner brand, featuring large-scale signage, enhanced fixtures and displays, and even custom refrigerators stocked with the brand’s energy drinks, protein shakes and hydration beverages. Customers can shop expanded product assortments and exclusive merch — including apparel and accessories that are unavailable elsewhere at retail, in select locations.
“Partnering with The Vitamin Shoppe to open our Bucked Up Hometown Store in Sandy, Utah, was a natural fit — giving us a space where the community can fully experience our brand,” says Ryan Gardner, CEO of Bucked Up. “This location showcases our full product lineup, exclusive drops, and immersive in-store activations, giving customers an all-access pass to the Bucked Up lifestyle. The response has been incredible, and we’re excited to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation with The Vitamin Shoppe.”
The Vitamin Shoppe plans to expand its Hometown Stores footprint in 2025, bringing additional top-tier partner brands into the program and generating continued innovation and excitement at retail within local communities across the U.S.
The Vitamin Shoppe®, a subsidiary of Franchise Group, Inc., is a global, omnichannel specialty retailer and wellness lifestyle company with the mission of providing customers with the most trusted products, guidance and services to support them on their journeys of lifelong wellness. Based in Secaucus, N.J., the company offers a comprehensive assortment of nutritional solutions, including vitamins, minerals, sports nutrition, specialty supplements, herbs, homeopathic remedies and green living products. In the U.S., the company conducts business through over 675 company-operated retail stores under The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements™ banners and via its website, www.vitaminshoppe.com. Globally, The Vitamin Shoppe serves customers in select Asia, South America and Central America markets through local omnichannel partners.
SOURCE: The Vitamin Shoppe