GNC and SPINS team up

Vitamins and supplement retailer GNC just named wellness-focused data technology company SPINS as its new research partner for product development and product design in the VMS space. The multiyear partnership allows GNC to augment its expert in-house team and leverage SPINS' insights in the natural products space by providing GNC with expansive market data. After 20+ years collecting data in the natural products industry, the collaboration with GNC marks SPINS' largest VMS partnership to date. “During that time, we have built a solid data set in the VMS space that has allowed us to offer our partners and others the deep insights that they need and want. Partnering with an industry powerhouse like GNC was a natural fit to take our reach into the VMS space even further and allow us to now offer unmatched data and insights in the space,” said Michael Erwin, VP of Communications, SPINS. Intelligence platform The joint venture aims to position GNC as a leader and expert in the health and wellness space via unparalleled access to reporting and campaign support. The exclusive multiyear contract will also ensure a long-term collaboration to improve consumer integration and accelerate its innovation initiatives through SPINS’ proprietary attribution and product intelligence platform. “Modern shoppers have more choice than ever before and are increasingly focused on better products: better for them and their families, better for the planet, better for society, and better for animals. Brands and retailers are taking notice, but with the rapid pace of innovation, it’s increasingly difficult to get ahead of trends. Product Intelligence helps demystify these trends and link them to shopper preferences,” explained Erwin. He added that GNC will now have access to product intelligence as well as our powerful attributes that will allow them to identify trends to shape assortment and drive their own brand strategy. Scott Dicker, market insights director, SPINS, told NutraIngredients-USA that he has a lot of supplement-focused presentations coming up and he’s especially looking forward to sharing SPINS’ insights from its platform to make his presentations more impactful. Michelle Walkley, Director, Customer Insights, GNC, added "Having insight into the SPINS platform is going to enhance our current data-driven approach to understanding market trends and evolving customer needs. The SPINS data opens exciting new opportunities to even further drive customer-centricity across product development, design, and innovation." On a roll GNC has been busy this year, first making an entrance into the prescription drug and telehealth business with GNC Health , followed by partnership announcements with Nuritas and Kaged, as well as the launch of its own products, GNC AMP Amplified Hydration and own pre-workout product, GNC AMP Tri-Phase , both created within GNCX Innovations, its in-house innovation incubator that create science-backed products.