Vitamin Shoppe rolls out personalized nutrition offering with Only Me program

05-Sep-2019 - Last updated on 05-Sep-2019 at 17:05 GMT

Vitamin Shoppe

As consumers continue to fuel the trend of personalized nutrition, retailers are recognizing it is a big business. The Vitamin Shoppe took notice and recently announced the launch of Only Me, a monthly subscription that offers daily packs of vitamins and supplements.

Only Me utilizes a detailed questionnaire about current health status and daily routines to design an individualized wellness plan. After taking an online assessment, subscribers are provided with a custom daily regimen sourced from a library of 37 supplements. Subscribers can focus on a variety of health needs such as support for brain, mood, energy, sleep, immunity, digestive, aging, gender and maternal need states.

In a press release, Sharon Leite, Chief Executive Officer of The Vitamin Shoppe, said, "At The Vitamin Shoppe, we understand that wellness is not one-size-fits-all, and that our customers are looking for custom solutions to meet their own unique health and wellness goals. With the launch of Only Me, we are encouraging customers to take time for self-care and prioritize their health, with the ease and convenience of a personalized delivery service – so they can become their best selves, however they define it."

The subscription service starts at $20 per month, with individual plan prices based upon the total recommended products and dosages. Pre-packaged daily Quick Packs are also available for purchase, like sleep, prenatal, beauty and foundation.

According to the company, Only Me was designed by medical experts and gives users access to The Vitamin Shoppe’s team of certified nutritionists. In select markets, nutritionists are available for one-on-one coaching and consultations, via live video chat, phone, or in-store consultations in select markets.

The personalized nutrition opportunity

The specialty health-and-wellness retailer is the latest chain to offer this type of service. Earlier this year, GNC introduced a subscription service. Personalization is a trend that has gained traction in recent years, with 90% of US consumers saying that they find personalization appealing, according to a 2018 Study. In fact, estimates say the market will reach upwards of $11.5 billion by 2025, growing at a CAGR of 7.03 percent from 2020 to 2025.

Another big name buying into personalized nutrition is Nestlé. Last month, the company acquired Persona, formerly Vitamin Packs, a personalized Vitamin business founded in 2017. Nestle added the company to its Atrium Professional Brands business. Nestle says Persona’s assessments will support healthcare professionals with their recommendations to patients and consumers.

But the definition of “personalized nutrition” varies. Some companies are taking “personalized” to the next level. InsideTracker, for instance, measures 40 biomarkers in blood that its scientists have determined provide the best indicators of overall health. From there they provide a personal plan to modulate them with diet, supplements, exercise and lifestyle changes. Nutrigenomix uses genetic profiles to provide personalized nutrition advice and physical activity recommendations. DNAFit and FitnessGenes look at genetic makeup to determine the most effective workouts, give nutritional advice and supplements.