Since 1992, David J. Termine, co-owner of Your Health Matters, a natural products retail store in Sturbridge, MA, has worked in sales, various independent stores and large retail chains.

When Termine worked as an account executive for New Chapter, a vitamin and supplement manufacturer based in Brattleboro, VT, he was involved with promotion of new products. One day, he “decided on the spot” to invest all his time and resources into a new product launch to increase both his own and company sales.

“Fortunately, my efforts paid off and I did finish the year at the top, plus [New Chapter] reached its pinnacle of No. 1 in the industry for the first year ever,” Termine said.

Termine spent more than a decade working at New Chapter before deciding to pursue his own ventures. It has been eight and a half years since he opened Your Health Matters.

The Store

At Your Health Matters, about 60 percent of the available floor space is dedicated to food, 30 percent is dedicated to supplements and the rest is for body care and other lifestyle and general merchandise.

Some of the top supplement suppliers for the store include New Chapter, Ancient Nutrition, Natural Factors, Vital Planet and Terry Naturally by EuroPharma. Termine said he focuses on reputable companies known for quality and results, and the store can offer many of the products below the suggested retail prices.

Sales

Termine said his store rarely goes a day without breaking $1,000 and sometimes even grabs upwards of $2,000 several times a month.

“My 32 years in the industry and the passion to teach and serve others is a start, but we also pride ourselves on striving to be affordable by offering many savings and giveaways with purchases,” Termine said.

Your Health Matters offers a unique promotion to provide customers free selections in addition to already discounted prices on major brands.

“I believe people remember your kindness, but also if you can offer a little extra at the end of a sale, we believe it helps to keep the loyalty,” Termine said. “We have two sections not far from our register that allows for the selection of free items based on sales over $50 as well as those over $100 that the customer can choose from before they exit the store. Needless to say, it has always been a hit!”

Competition

The closest competitor to Your Health Matters is Alternatives for Health, a small herbal apothecary located a few miles away in Sturbridge. Even though Alternatives for Health is in the same small town, it has a smaller selection of products, Termine explained.

“They carry no food and have a limited supplement section, focusing on bulk herbs, teas and essential oils plus teaching events,” Termine said. “With a bigger selection overall and lots they don’t carry, we manage just fine.”

Education

Like many health food stores across the country, education plays a big role for Your Health Matters.

“Passing on knowledge so that my customers can make an informed decision is of utmost importance,” Termine said. “I have continued over the years to immerse myself in vendor trainings, continually research new products and ingredients, and being sure questionable additives in products stop at our door.”

Termine added that many of his customers are dissatisfied with conventional medical systems and want more options.

“Most customers have become fed up with the medical system’s lack of flexibility, outdated protocols and over-arching attempts to control more things than what most agree are beyond just ‘health care,’” Termine said. “So, with knowledge comes personal power and people are looking to be informed on the best ways to prevent disease as they age without the use of so many pharmaceuticals resulting in too many side effects.”

Moving Forward

Termine said promoting natural products and staying local are integral aspects of his business.

“We will continue to share the truth that the efficacy of nature in all her wisdom and time-tested abilities to work with the human body, as opposed to forcing a reaction from within it, in hopes of just reducing a symptom,” Termine said. “Staying community/locally focused is always the underlying foundation to maintaining our focus going forward.”VR