The Vitamin Shoppe Now ‘Better for You’ Fresh Food Too

Ikea can do it, Walgreens can do it, Pinkies Liquor Stores can do it and, so ca you!  Yes, non-traditional fresh food retailers are entering the Grocerant niche filled with Ready-2-Eat and Heat-N-Eat fresh prepared meals and meal components one after the other and you can too.  

Successful retailers that listen to their customers evolve the halo of the brand with the customers are sure to find on-going success according to Foodservice Solutions® Grocerant Guru™.  That is just what Vitamin Shoppe is doing by adding prepared food in it’s retail locations in an effort to meet customers demand for ‘better for you’ fresh prepared food. 

The North Bergen-based retailer Vitamin Shoppe Inc., “as part of an effort to broaden its sales reach beyond vitamin supplements, is testing sales of prepared, refrigerated calorie-controlled meals in 10 stores, including three in North Jersey.”… 

“Refrigerator walls containing prepared foods have been added at Vitamin Shoppe stores in Paramus, Wayne and Little Falls. The company picked stores in New Jersey and New York for the trial run because of their proximity to company headquarters.”

The calorie-controlled meals offering meal components the ilk of vegetable lasagna, Paleo barbecued pork and chickpea and quinoa salads were co-created and are prepared by the California-based healthy meals company Fitzee Foods at a commercial kitchen on Long Island.

The Vitamin Shoppe, with more than 700 stores nationwide goal os to broaden our customers' view of us, and get them looking at us more as a health and wellness brand," said Doug Jones, senior vice president of merchandising. 

The meals offered are portioned in single-serving containers and marked with calorie and nutritional information. Each stores is stocked with 17 menu items, including breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings, with entrees priced at $6.99 to $8.99, and salads costing $5.99. 

"We really tried to build the menu to appeal to a large customer base," Jones said. "We've got some ethnic food — Thai, Indian, Italian — as well as vegetarian and gluten and dairy-free options." The meals, he said, "are all-natural and very clean, with no added preservatives. There are no ingredients you won't be able to pronounce." 

Are you ready to Grow? Invite Foodservice Solutions® to complete a grocerant program assessment, grocerant scorecard, brand, or product placement assistance.  Since 1991 www.FoodserviceSolutions.us  of Tacoma, WA has been the global leader in the Grocerant niche. Contact: Steve@FoodserviceSolutions.us or 253-759-7869