Gnc Stores

GNC Stores and Marketing GNC Franchising, Inc., is one of the largest specialty retailer of vitamins, herbs, food supplements and other health management items in the United States. Since the inception of GNC, it has looked at several ways to marketing its products. Traditionally, GNC offered its proprietary products to consumers through franchised stores and company-owned stores, but recently it has also begun to sell its products via the Internet.

And more recently as of 1999, GNC has entered into a strategic alliance with Rite Aid Corporation, which will host full-line of GNC products across the country (Fisher and Mullin, 1990). The two companies also plan to develop a new line of pharmacy-endorsed vitamins and nutritional supplements, which will be available through all company-owned and franchised GNC locations and Rite Aid Stores (Fisher and Mullin, 1990). General Nutrition Cos.

(GNC) is also moving to do its business in natural foods, as it has opened a national chain of natural foods and wellness stores under the Nature's Northwest banner. With this, GNC will be able to target its primary shoppers, who are health-minded and receptive to other wellness products. In general, the research indicates that the quality of GNC's products is high, the stores are conveniently located, the price of products is reasonable, and the shoppers are made to feel welcome (Wilson, 1998).

The main objective of GNC is to be customer-conscious to serve educated young people across all of the categories it sells (Wilson, 1998). In this respect, the company has also begun to offer customized products, along with plenty of customized information to the consumers to learn more about their own specific health needs. In all, the company has taken three of the hottest trends in retailing -- Technology, customization and health and fitness -- and combined them in an interactive format with a holistic edge.

With this concept, GNC seeks to broaden the appeal of the chain far beyond its core vitamin customer. With categories ranging from workout essentials to diagnostics to homeopathy, the store targets the nation's ongoing interest in health and wellness. It is dedicated to helping customers discover their own specific health needs and providing them with custom-made products on the spot.

Not only GNC has started to take the advantages of personalized vitamin packs and beauty care products that are created in the store at the time of the sale, it has also begun to provide several regular free check-ups to customers to have their posture checked or take a body fat test. Each customer receives a personal printout with health and lifestyle improvement information targeted to his or her own goals. Further, in some upscale stores, a sleek-looking kiosk houses an interactive bio-nutritional encyclopedia.

Easily accessible, the touchscreen program provides detailed information on vitamins, minerals and herbs (Wilson, 1996). In addition, GNC at several locations provides a self-contained relaxation chamber that offers shoppers a quiet 3-minute break, combining chair massage, aromatherapy and soothing audio. All of the above innovations to attract health conscious customers, GNC is fine tuning its marketing efforts to offer customized vitamin packs, which are created and packaged on the spot in a.