50 Years of Supplements in a Small Missouri City

Since 1973, Super Natural Health Food Center has existed at the same location in Grandview, MO, a small city about 16 miles south of Kansas City. After more than 50 years, Owner Joseph D. Tittone continues to dutifully serve and educate his customers.

Tittone’s wife, Kelly Beard-Tittone, and daughter Heather, also co-run the store with him.

“I had an interest in achieving optimal health and wanted others to do the same,” Tittone said. “I also knew doctors at the time that encouraged me to open such a store.”

The Store

According to Tittone, around 90 percent of the store is dedicated to supplements and the other 10 percent is for food and beauty products.

Although Tittone didn’t discuss sales numbers in depth, he said his customers are interested in addressing immediate health needs such as energy, weight loss or a sudden health issue. Through extensive knowledge and quality products, Tittone aims to help each customer with their needs.

“Joe has over 50 years of nutritional knowledge and certain popular private label products that are hard to find anywhere else,” Beard-Tittone said.

Competition and Challenges

While Super Natural Health Food Center isn’t the only health food retailer in Grandview, Tittone said his product offerings are unique.

“Other than the big grocery stores and online sales, our biggest competitor is less than a mile away,” Tittone said. “Although they offer appointments with a nutritionist, we offer 50 years in the business, and private labels with a few store-designed products.”

Tittone said one of the biggest challenges is the growing popularity and number of online stores and large corporate chains.

“Online stores and big supplement/natural food departments at large stores is an ongoing problem,” Tittone said. “Also, it can be difficult to meet large minimum orders from some manufacturers. Having a popular private label helps.”

Education and DSHEA

Like many health food stores across the United States, education and outreach remains an important business aspect for Super Natural Health Food Center.

“In the past, Joe would give talks around the community and participate in radio shows to educate customers and consumers about how to achieve optimal health,” Beard-Tittone said. “Now, education is done more one-on-one with individual customers.”

The Tittone family also spent a lot of time advocating for dietary supplements, particularly lobbying for the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act (DSHEA) of 1994.

“We spent a great deal of time working to support the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act in the early 1990s,” Tittone said. “Customers need to be able to be able to make their own health decisions and have access to safe supplements like what we sell in the store.”

The Future

Tittone and his family hope Super Natural Health Food Center will continue thrive through its extensive range of products and customer education initiatives.

“We have been open for more than 50 years by offering quality supplements,” they said.VR