The Vitamin Shoppe® Unveils "Hometown Stores" Concept, Partnering with Top Sports Nutrition and Supplement Brands to Create Dynamic, Local Retail and Marketing Showcases

Rhea-AI Summary

The Vitamin Shoppe (VSI) has launched an innovative 'Hometown Stores' concept, partnering with major sports nutrition brands to create enhanced retail experiences in their respective local markets. The initiative features dedicated 200+ square feet spaces within existing stores, where partner brands like Gorilla Mind, EHPlabs, Bucked Up, RYSE, and RAW Nutrition showcase expanded product ranges and exclusive merchandise.

The program currently operates in six locations across the US, including Los Angeles, Paramus, Houston, Sandy, Frisco, and Port St. Lucie (opening April 2025). These spaces serve as community engagement hubs, featuring custom-branded retail areas, marketing activations, and social content opportunities. Notable events include Bucked Up's helicopter landing promotion and EHPlabs' Houston launch event that attracted over 400 fans.

The Vitamin Shoppe plans to expand the Hometown Stores program throughout 2025, aiming to strengthen brand partnerships while enhancing the local shopping experience.

Positive

• Strategic expansion of retail presence through innovative partnership model
• Enhanced customer engagement through exclusive merchandise and local community events
• Successful launch events demonstrating strong customer interest (400+ attendees at Houston)
• Planned expansion of program throughout 2025 indicating growth potential

Negative

• initial rollout to only six locations
• Significant store space dedication (200+ sq ft) may impact other brand displays
• Heavy reliance on partner brand performance and local market success

Gorilla Mind, EHPlabs, Bucked Up, RYSE, and RAW Nutrition have opened dedicated, immersive retail spaces within The Vitamin Shoppe stores located in their own hometowns

SECAUCUS, N.J., March 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vitamin Shoppe®, a leading omni-channel specialty retailer of nutritional products, is strengthening its brand partnerships while redefining the in-store shopping experience in select markets with the launch of its new Hometown Stores concept. These innovative retail collaborations pair a local The Vitamin Shoppe store with a top partner brand that has its company headquarters and deep roots in the same metro area—creating a one-of-a-kind destination for brand enthusiasts and the local wellness community.

Each Hometown Store features an enlarged, custom-branded retail space within an existing The Vitamin Shoppe location, where partner brands can showcase expanded product ranges, exclusive merchandise, marketing activations and events, and social content opportunities—all tailored to their loyal customer base in the area. The Vitamin Shoppe has teamed up with some of the biggest names in sports nutrition for this initiative, including Bucked Up, EHPlabs, Gorilla Mind, RAW Nutrition, and RYSE, with more set to come. (The EHPlabs locations are uniquely dubbed Community Hubs since the brand is headquartered in Australia and has selected two U.S. stores with exceptionally passionate fan bases.)

Innovative Retail Collaborations

"These custom-designed, shop-in-shop experiences are a game-changer," said Lee Wright, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe. "We're offering our brand partners a unique opportunity to create dynamic retail showcases right in their own backyards, where they can connect with their most dedicated customers like never before. By expanding their presence within The Vitamin Shoppe, our partners can truly bring their brand stories to life through exclusive product, events, and content—all while reinforcing our stores as the industry's premier specialty wellness destination."

To date, The Vitamin Shoppe's Hometown Stores and Community Hubs include the following locations and brand partners:

• Gorilla Mind – The Vitamin Shoppe, 101 North Fairfax Ave, Los Angeles, CA
• EHPlabs – The Vitamin Shoppe, 137 East State Rte. 4, Paramus, NJ
• EHPlabs – The Vitamin Shoppe, 7009 Highway 6 North, Houston, TX
• Bucked Up – The Vitamin Shoppe, 10515 South State Street, Sandy, UT
• RYSE – The Vitamin Shoppe, 2995 Preston Rd., Frisco, TX
• RAW Nutrition – The Vitamin Shoppe, 1756 SW St. Lucie West Blvd, Port St. Lucie, FL (opening in April 2025)

An Upgraded In-Store Experience

Each Hometown Store or Community Hub is designed to be a fully immersive brand environment, with prominent retail space of 200 square feet or more for each partner brand, featuring large-scale signage, enhanced fixtures and displays, and even custom refrigerators stocked with the brand's energy drinks, protein shakes, and hydration beverages. Customers can shop expanded product assortments and exclusive merch—including apparel and accessories that are unavailable elsewhere at retail, in select locations.

"Partnering with The Vitamin Shoppe to open our Bucked Up Hometown Store in Sandy, Utah, was a natural fit—giving us a space where the community can fully experience our brand," said Ryan Gardner, CEO of Bucked Up. "This location showcases our full product lineup, exclusive drops, and immersive in-store activations, giving customers an all-access pass to the Bucked Up lifestyle. The response has been incredible, and we're excited to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation with The Vitamin Shoppe."

Hubs of Community Engagement & Marketing 

More than just a retail destination, these stores can also serve as centers of community engagement and content creation, where brands create compelling social media moments and customer activations. Bucked Up took things to the next level when their executive team landed a helicopter at their Sandy, UT, location for a buzzed-about launch video posted across their social channels.

EHPlabs similarly went big for its Community Hub launch in Houston, Texas, drawing over 400 enthusiastic fans for a high-energy event in February, featuring a run club, live workouts and fitness contests, influencer meet-and-greets, and exclusive giveaways from a mini-shop within a mobile shipping container.

"The EHPlabs community understands and values our true commitment and partnership to The Vitamin Shoppe, and it has become the go-to destination for EHPlabs exclusives and first-to-market product launches. As part of the natural evolution of our partnership with The Vitamin Shoppe to create a brand immersive hub for our community, we are proud to launch our first-ever EHPlabs Community Hubs with The Vitamin Shoppe in Houston and New Jersey. Our vision is to bring the EHPlabs brand to life within these stores, execute new product development and cool exclusives, and be able to engage with our community at a deeper level by creating a feedback loop for experimental flavors and products," said Izhar Basha, CEO of EHPlabs.

What's Next?

The Vitamin Shoppe plans to expand its Hometown Stores footprint in 2025, bringing additional top-tier partner brands into the program and generating continued innovation and excitement at retail within local communities across the U.S.

For more information about The Vitamin Shoppe and its partner brands, visit www.vitaminshoppe.com.

About The Vitamin Shoppe®

Lifelong Wellness Starts Here™. The Vitamin Shoppe®, a subsidiary of Franchise Group, Inc., is a global, omnichannel specialty retailer and wellness lifestyle Company with the mission of providing customers with the most trusted products, guidance, and services to support them on their journeys of lifelong wellness. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Company offers a comprehensive assortment of nutritional solutions, including vitamins, minerals, sports nutrition, specialty supplements, herbs, homeopathic remedies, and green living products. In addition to carrying products from approximately 700 national brands, The Vitamin Shoppe offers products from its proprietary brands within its owned and wholesale channels, including: The Vitamin Shoppe®, Vthrive The Vitamin Shoppe®, BodyTech®, BodyTech® Elite, plnt®, ProBioCare®, and True Athlete®. In the U.S., the Company conducts business through over 675 company-operated retail stores under The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements™ banners and via its website, www.vitaminshoppe.com. Globally, The Vitamin Shoppe serves customers in select Asia, South America, and Central America markets through local omnichannel partners.

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SOURCE The Vitamin Shoppe

FAQ

What is The Vitamin Shoppe's Hometown Stores concept and how does it work?

The Hometown Stores concept pairs local VSI stores with partner brands headquartered in the same area, featuring 200+ square feet of dedicated space for expanded product ranges, exclusive merchandise, and brand activations.

Which brands are currently part of VSI's Hometown Stores program?

Current partners include Gorilla Mind (Los Angeles), EHPlabs (Paramus & Houston), Bucked Up (Sandy), RYSE (Frisco), and RAW Nutrition (Port St. Lucie - opening April 2025).

What unique features are available at VSI's Hometown Store locations?

These locations offer custom-branded retail spaces, large-scale signage, enhanced fixtures, exclusive merchandise, custom refrigerators for beverages, and serve as hubs for community events and social content creation.

How successful was the EHPlabs Community Hub launch at VSI's Houston location?

The Houston launch attracted over 400 fans and featured run clubs, live workouts, fitness contests, influencer meet-and-greets, and exclusive giveaways from a mobile shipping container shop.