Retailer Roundtable: What are some creative ways you drive supplement sales?Retailer Roundtable: What are some creative ways you drive supplement sales?

Megan Jones
Nourish manager at Ellwood Thompson’s Local Market in Richmond, Va.
Each month we change endcaps and displays to reflect seasonal trends: nautical backgrounds for fish oils, vintage apothecary themes for herbal extracts, live aloe plants with aloe juices. We encourage customer interaction by aligning demos with promotions and holding trivia contests or raffles to give away products. We also cross-merchandise a lot. For example, we might put chia seeds with smoothie books in the produce department.

Arthel Vincent
Owner of Bonanza Health Foods in Billings, Mont.
We’ve found it very helpful to hand out supplement samples. This generates customer interest in specific products. We also build our own displays. For instance, during cold and flu season all of those products are right up front and easy to access. Additionally, we have a customer-friendly Aisle7 computer kiosk and use an iPad for quick reference. We advertise supplements on a Saturday-morning radio show.

Denise Rodriguez
Founder of Salud Natural Market in Great Falls, Va.
We promote a specific supplement or theme each month in our newsletter and on social media. Then we create an endcap at the front of the store that features food items along with the featured supplement to show customers that they can get that nutrient through either. We put a smaller display near the checkout and have employees mention the supplement while ringing up shoppers. We also stock some skin, hair and nail supplements in personal care.

Michael Kanter and Elizabeth Stagl
co-founders of Cambridge Naturals Cambridge, Mass.
We use two display windows to promote supplements with monthly themes. For example, January is  wellness and March is spring cleanse. This is the first thing customers see as they approach the store. We also use smaller posters in plexi frames featuring monthly “staff picks” with a short commentary on why each staffer uses or recommends a supplement. We also use small shelf talkers called “staff likes” monthly under rotating supplement bottles.