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Special Section: Top Retailers

by VRM Media | July 1, 2010

Living History at Willner Chemists

Willner Chemists opened its doors in New York City in 1911, at the intersection of 39th and Lexington, as an old-fashioned, neighborhood drugstore much like any other. Patrons could get their prescriptions filled, questions answered and perhaps, as the store proclaims on its now extensive website, “a refreshing pause at the soda fountain.” Yet everything changed for Willner Chemists in the 1970s when then-owner Irvine Willner began working with holistic physicians, culminating in the launch of a private label supplement line. Shelves were soon filled with homeopathic remedies, herbal products and nutritional supplements. Today, the store caters to consumers rather than physicians, and boasts a staff of 12 licensed, nutritionally oriented pharmacists and six nutritionists. Shoppers at Willner Chemists will discover hard-to-find professional lines along with health food store mainstays like Solgar, Jarrow, Metagenics, Pure Encapsulations, TwinLab, NOW Foods and Nordic Naturals— the store’s top sellers. Willner Chemists is a true vitamin retailer, with more than 18,000 SKUs and 95 percent of its store dedicated to supplements.

In 1992, Willner Chemists was sold to two pharmacists, Don Goldberg and Arnie Gitomer, who own the store today. By 1996, the owners had relocated the store to a midtown Park Avenue location where it could expand. In 1998, Willner Chemists opened a second store in downtown New York City on Broadway, right across from City Hall. This store is modeled after the Park Avenue store, but is about two and one-half times larger. In July 1999, the third Willner Chemists store opened in the Buckhead section of Atlanta, GA, and is the company’s first franchise-type operation.

In addition to its top-notch locations, Willner Chemists boasts an informative website, featuring a searchable product database and order-placing capabilities, and a widely acclaimed two hour radio program called “The Willner Window,” which runs on New York’s No. 1 AM radio station, WOR radio, every Sunday evening from 2-4 pm. According to Arbitron ratings, it is one of the most listened-to talk shows in the greater New York area. Finally, the store releases a semi-annual, 224-page product reference catalog. Though its roots are in 1911, Willner Chemists has certainly made a name for itself in today’s natural marketplace.

Mother’s Market Grows Its Family Tree

Mother’s Market’s six independently owned and privately held locations throughout California (Costa Mesa, Huntington Beach, Irvine, Laguna Woods, Santa Ana and Anaheim Hills) feature a varied selection of natural products and grocery including natural, organic and specialty foods, produce, body care, fresh deli items, international foods and supplements like best sellers Solaray, New Chapter, Health Force, NOW Foods and Herb Pharm. The “Mother’s Market Radio Show” is a monthly show “dedicated to the truth, beauty and goodness of the human condition,” explained Mo Payette, the director of purchasing at Costa Mesa, with recent topics including toxins, diabetes prevention and maintaining a healthy heart. Further, the store boasts a number of awards: from OC Metro Magazine, a local Orange County publication, it was voted one of the most trustworthy brands in Orange County for this year; the stores also topped the polls in the OC Register as the best health food store, the best place to shop green and the best vegetarian restaurant.

But most notably, what sets Mother’s Market apart from other health food stores is its attention to customer needs and requests. “We are always looking to bring in quality products not readily available at local food and drug stores at the best possible prices,” explained Deborah Rubino, the company’s assistant to the chairman of the board. “Customer requests are a top priority and our instore seminars are well-attended and provide great information.” 

“We encourage our staff to attend vendor and manufacturer trainings. We have staff at every level of knowledge. Our goal is to hire staff that are interested in health and have an interest in learning,” Rubino concluded. “As retailers, our job is to assist the customer in finding products they are looking for that have been recommended by health care professionals or from their own independent research.” 

Mother’s Market will continue to expand in 2011, with a seventh store planned for Brea, CA.

True Community Service 

What began as a 1,600 square foot operation in 1993 has grown into a 15,000 square foot beacon of health for Coral Springs, FL residents. Sixty-five percent of the store’s 9,800 square foot selling space is dedicated to vitamins and supplements, and it currently sells more than 25,000 SKUs (also representing grocery, frozen food, personal care and books), but it’s what Tunies has to offer that makes it a go-to haven for shoppers.

“One of our keys to success is quality customer service,” said Owner Al Forman. “The majority of my staff has been with me well over five years. If a customer has a problem, they’re not talking to a stranger, they’re talking to someone they know.” 

In line with a highly educated staff, Tunies also offers nutrition counseling on site, free of charge, and yet customers don’t feel this free service comes at a price; the nutritionist’s office was consciously designed as a separate part of the facility. “We didn’t want customers to feel obligated to buy product in our store after seeing the nutritionist,” said Forman. “They know they can take information home and think about it—if they want something, they know they can find it with us.

“We’re successful because we don’t pressure customers to buy. This is a neighborhood store; there are no salespeople here,” he added.

The largest independent retailer in southern Florida last year, customers are also comforted that they’re getting great prices. EDLP (everyday low prices) means customers are getting product discounted 20-50 percent, and this policy has been in place at Tunies since its inception.

In addition, locals can hear Forman’s radio show three times a week, which is sponsored by some of his top sellers like Jarrow Formulas and Carlson Laboratories, and can enjoy weekly health seminars in the store’s conference center. But the real feather in Forman’s cap is the Health and Wellness Seminar he puts on once a year at the Coral Springs Theater of Living Arts that, again, is free to attend. In its ninth year now, the last seminar featured illustrious experts such as Dr. Jacob Teitlebaum, Tom Bohager and Forman’s own cardiologist, Dr. Howard Bush.

“It’s a huge event that usually takes me about six months to prepare,” Forman explained, “but it’s a huge event my customers look forward to.

“None of our success could be possible without my staff,” he concluded. “I’m fortunate to have a good staff and I praise them because they make the whole operation go.”

Co-Op Delivering on Its Community Commitment

From its initial conception as a preorder buying club to its present status as one of Vermont’s premier co-ops, Middlebury Natural Foods Coop’s (MNFC) mission has not changed: to provide members with wholesome, natural foods that are not available elsewhere. Over the years, this commitment has resonated with its customers and members, leading the store to several expansions and its present 6,000 square foot operation, which now includes a prepared foods section and deli with indoor and outdoor seating.

“I feel that offering friendly customer service goes a long way,” said Tracey Orvis, wellness manager. “We are willing to listen and go the extra mile for our customers. We also try to offer a balance of affordable yet high-quality products, with a commitment to local vendors.” 

The quality of products is so important to MNFC that before any item is sold in the store, it must first pass an established buying criteria, which includes no irradiated foods; foods containing artificial preservatives, colors or preservatives; meat products from animals raised with hormones or antibiotics; fluid milk, ice cream, frozen yogurt or dairy products containing rBST; foods containing hydrogenated oils or trans fats; or products tested on animals. MNFC also has a Solar Hot H2O heater and a Freeaire refrigeration system for its dairy coolers.

On the supplement side, which represents close to $1 million, or nine percent, of the store’s annual sales, some of MNFC’s best sellers include Alacer, Honey Garden Apiaries, Rainbow Light, New Chapter and Carlson’s Laboratories.

As a way of giving back to the community, MNFC donates to a local food shelf, and puts on an empty bowl dinner where a local potter donates bowls, tickets are purchased and proceeds go to the food shelf. MNFC also supports many local eco-friendly establishments and groups, like Addison County Relocalization Network (ACORN), the Local Green Energy Expo, Vermont’s Farm to Plate Initiative and North East Organic Farming Association (NOFA).

“Overall, I think our success results from being in a wonderful supportive community, having a very knowledgeable training friendly staff and providing great healthy products to our customers,” said Orvis.

A Valuable Resource for Its Customers

Few industry members would argue that education is at the heart of the success of the natural products industry. This has proven so true for The Health Food Center that it features an expansive education center so that its customers can find a variety of books on health and wellness topics.

“It’s like a mini Barnes & Noble,” said Carol Ketring, store manager. “People can search for a good diet or exercise program, or learn what they can do to keep their blood sugar in balance. It all depends on what they need.” 

According to Ketring, the education center can hold up to 100 chairs so customers can sit and read as they would in a bookstore. The center also holds seminars featuring some of the most prominent members of the natural products industry, which occur on average every month. The resource center is one of the three stores within a store inside at The Health Food Center, which additionally includes sections for sports nutrition and health and beauty. In fact, since the store began, it has grown from 1,200 square feet to its present 20,000 square foot size.

Also featured prominently in the store is its supplement section, which accounts for roughly 50 percent of the products sold. “Some have said our selection of supplements is the largest in the country,” commented Ketring. While selling all major supplement brands, in regards to specific supplement brands leaving the shelves in a hurry, Ketring added, “Right now, Bluebonnet Nutrition’s supplements have been hot. We also sell a lot of NOW Foods, Solaray and Natural Factors products.” 

In addition to an extensive supplement and education center, Health Food Center also boasts a juice bar, large grocery and fresh organic produce. “We pride ourselves on offering a large variety of products,” said Ketring. “We base our success on listening to the customer and providing everything they ask for. We also have a passionate staff that loves helping people and is dedicated to healthy living.”

Handpicked Standards

When perusing the aisles at Native Sun, customers can easily spot the store’s best products: it features a “Handpicked” program exclusively in its nutrition department to help highlight the staff’s favorite products. “We are not interested in lowering our standards to create a competitively priced store brand of supplements, so we use this program to point out items we feel we couldn’t have made any better ourselves,” said Owner Aaron Gottlieb.

Native Sun’s top-selling supplement brands include Bluebonnet, Natural Factors, Solgar, Barlean’s, Natren, SuperNutrition, Country Life and Nature’s Way. The supplement section takes up 15 percent of each store plan and accounts for 35 percent of its business. But the Native Sun difference is attributed to the fact that the employees are educators, not salespeople, Gottlieb said. “We educate our staff on manufacturers and products on a regular basis, allow them to sample products for themselves and encourage them to research on their own. Our customers appreciate the genuine interest, enthusiasm and knowledge shown by our nutrition staff.” 

Products are chosen based on ingredients and reputation of manufacturers. 
“When choosing a new product, the first step is to see if it meets our stringent standards,” Gottlieb said. “There are a lot of ingredients we will not let in our stores, for example synthetic preservatives, additives, artificial coloring, etc.” The second step often includes Gottlieb and the store’s director of nutrition, Beverly Velasquez, visiting a manufacturer’s facility to assure product quality from start to finish. “Once we carry a product,” Gottlieb noted, “we regularly ask companies to verify ingredients and processing to make sure it continues to meet our standards.” 

Native Sun also has a strong commitment to eco-friendly practices in the store, which include:

• Utilizing styrofoam to reduce energy use for heating and cooling

• Using the first glycol refrigeration system in the US to reduce environmental waste

• Offering a ride share program that rewards employees for carpooling or bike riding to work

• Recycling in departments, office space and customer eating areas

• Using biodegradable produce, bulk and grocery bags, compostable cups and recycled food containers

• Selling reusable shopping bags and giving a five cent/bag discount when customers bring their own bag 

As far as charitable giving, Native Sun developed the GreenApples program to help raise money and awareness for local non-profit organizations, Gottlieb said. “From August 2008 to December 2009, our customers and employees helped us donate more than $13,000 to local groups in need.”

Triple Bottom Line Success

PCC Natural Markets began as a food-buying club of 15 families in 1953. Today, it’s the largest consumer- owned natural food retail cooperative in the US. PCC has nine stores in the Puget Sound region and is owned by nearly 45,000 members. And 2009 was another year of solid growth, according to Wendy McLain, PCC health and beauty aids merchandiser. “Our nine neighborhood locations contributed to a total of $138 million in sales.” 

McLain explained that PCC has a triple bottom line approach to doing business inclusive of its economic, social and environmental responsibilities. “Specific metrics that monitor our consumer education and community outreach programs, as well as our waste management, water conservation and energy use practices, have been in place for several years. We have won local and national awards for our sustainable operations.”

PCC provides financial and in-kind support to like-minded non-profits and educational institutions. Support is in the form of sponsorships, events and donations, PCC’s scrip program, and scholarships for the PCC Cooks program.
“We also sponsor the 21-year-old PCC Food Bank program that provides almost 36 tons of nutritious bulk food to our nine partner food banks annually. Our education programs are another form of outreach and include the 26- year old PCC Cooks program, the sixyear PCC Kid Picks program, and nutrition education tour and classes offered throughout the year,” McLain said.

The store’s supplement section consists of 2,800 SKUs, including its top-sellers: PCC private label, Natural Factors, Nature’s Way, Carlson and Nordic Naturals. “PCC has earned the loyalty of customers over the years by providing quality supplements from manufacturers we know and trust, and by staffing our stores with well-trained, knowledgeable individuals.” 

High-quality standards for dietary supplements were in place at PCC well before the 2007 announcement of the FDA regulation requiring GMPs, McLain added. Each product is evaluated individually and must comply with specific criteria, including: no artificial flavors, colors or sweetener; reliable research that supports claims concerning the product’s purity and effectiveness; and adequately labeled, listing ingredients and recommended use as required by law. To add to that, in April, PCC became the first retailer to be “glutenfree endorsed” by The Gluten Intolerance Group of North America.

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