Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 40
MEMBER PROFILE
SUPPLEMENTING
FOR SUCCESS IN THE
CANADIAN MARKET
Understanding the terrain of a new market is important to
ensuring a successful expansion. But retailers that recognize
how their core values and philosophies will be accepted by a
new customer will separate the winners from the losers.
BY SEAN C. TARRY
WHEN award-winning U.S.-based specialty retailer The Vitamin Shoppe started
exploring the possibility of expanding its
operations into the Canadian market nearly two years ago, it already recognized the
attractiveness of the robust retail industry
in the country, particularly in the health
and wellness category. The supplement
market is a $3 billion industry in Canada,
which sees 70 per cent of Canadian citizens
taking supplements on a regular basis. The
company also understood that there was
clearly lots of room for another retailer of
vitamins and health products to play. The
questions they had, however, were far more
philosophical in nature.
“We kicked off the official business effort
internally about 18 months ago,” explains
Musab Balbale, The Vitamin Shoppe’s director of business development. “There were
two key questions that we asked initially.
We first wanted to identify whether or not
there was an opportunity for us to really
create a compelling offering to the customer based on what our core values are—
assortment, knowledge and value. And the
second was, do we have the organizational
breadth internally to successfully execute
against the opportunity?”
40 |
A unique offering
To answer their first question, the company, which branded itself as Vitapath for
the Canadian market, didn’t have to look
any further than its product. They conducted
a review of the competitive landscape in the
country and identified a real opportunity to
bring a unique offering to Canada.
“We view ourselves as a single destination in the market that serves the entire
family,” explains Balbale. “We carry not
only vitamins and supplements focused
on the health conscious consumer, but we
also carry a strong line of sports supplements focused on the active consumer.”
Whether the Vitapath customer is looking for gummy multivitamins for their kids,
basic fish oils and supplements, or more obscure herbs for those people becoming more
conscious about taking care of their health
in more specific ways, Balbale believes that
the supplement retailer has it all. However,
he points out that the product is only the beginning of the Vitapath experience.
“The level of assortment and breadth that
we offer is unique to the market,” he says.
“That comes with a level of service and
knowledge that engages the customer in
conversation and imparts product value.”
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Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013
PUBLISHER’S DESK
RETAIL CURRENTS
EAT WELL CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE FAMILIES ABOUT HEALTHY LIVING
THE EVOLUTION OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
THE TARGET IMPACT
THE RISKS OF NEGLECTING THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
MENTORING TOMORROW’S TALENT
RECRUITING TOP TALENT FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
UNPACKING SHOWROOMING
SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS IN THE CANADIAN MARKET
ADVERTISER'S INDEX
RETAIL QUICK TIPS
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - ebelly1
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - ebelly2
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - cover1
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - cover2
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 3
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - PUBLISHER’S DESK
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 5
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - RETAIL CURRENTS
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 7
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 8
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 9
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - EAT WELL CAMPAIGN TO EDUCATE FAMILIES ABOUT HEALTHY LIVING
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 11
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - THE EVOLUTION OF CUSTOMER SERVICE
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 13
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 14
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 15
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - THE TARGET IMPACT
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 17
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 18
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 19
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 20
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 21
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - THE RISKS OF NEGLECTING THE IN-STORE EXPERIENCE
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 23
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 24
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 25
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 26
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - MENTORING TOMORROW’S TALENT
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 28
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 29
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 30
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 31
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - RECRUITING TOP TALENT FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 33
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 34
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 35
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - UNPACKING SHOWROOMING
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 37
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 38
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 39
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - SUPPLEMENTING FOR SUCCESS IN THE CANADIAN MARKET
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 41
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 42
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 43
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 44
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - ADVERTISER'S INDEX
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - RETAIL QUICK TIPS
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 47
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 48
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 49
Canadian Retailer - Spring 2013 - 50
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