Expert advice: pay more, get more - savvyshopper - Steve Lankford says that supplements at his Family Nutrition Centers' are priced higher because of higher quality

Better Nutrition, Feb, 2003 by Joe Lewandowski

Steve Lankford hears the question at least once a week: "Why are your supplements more expensive than those I can buy at Wal-Mart?"

And every time he hears the question, he wants to scream.

But being the good businessman that he is, Lankford--owner of two Family Nutrition Center stores in Green Bay, Wisconsin--puts on his game face and answers politely.

Not all supplements--even basic vitamins-are created equal, he says patiently.

Then he points to a label and explains the details: High-quality products don't contain artificial dyes; they're not packed with unnecessary filler material; they're made to be easily absorbed by the body; and every ingredient is there for a reason.

Finally, he looks the customer in the eye and delivers his most convincing line: "Is there anything that you buy where the cheapest, lowest-quality product is also the best?"

That usually gets his point across. Specialty nutrition and natural products stores sell higher-priced supplements for a very good reason--because they provide the best nutritional quality available. Equally as important, specialty stores provide the expertise and information consumers need to help them make decisions. You won't find a clerk at the super-center discount store--or even a pharmacist at the grocery store--who will be able to explain to you, for example, if the fillers in your vitamin tablets contain animal by-products.

Supplements are a component for maintaining optimal health. So why would you put anything but the highest-quality products into your body?

Lankford, who has operated his stores for 20 years in Green Bay, considers himself the customer's gatekeeper. With thousands of supplement products on the market, it's impossible for consumers to sort through all the information. Over the years, he's studied a considerable amount of information about supplements, and he's very stingy with his shelf space.

All of the supplements in his stores carry the "True Label" designation from the National Nutritional Foods Association. That seal of approval assures consumers that independent laboratories have tested the products and certified that they contain the ingredients stated on the label. Lankford also favors companies that conduct legitimate efficacy research. "We need to support companies that have a strong commitment to science," he says.

At Back to Basics, a supplements store in Rockwall, Texas, manager Meg McKniff has been studying supplements for 20 years. When a new supplier tries to convince her to carry a product, she demands complete information, including research reports.

"I look for multiple studies and double-blind studies. I understand what's on the labels. I can tell you pretty quickly what's garbage and what's not."

She carries that same no-nonsense attitude to the aisles. She asks new customers about their health conditions: Are they taking traditional medications? Do they have high blood pressure? Have they had surgery recently? Only after ,gathering specific information will she recommend products.

McKniff also provides ongoing training and educational seminars to employees.

"We tell people all the time, `You don't need this product,'" McKniff says. "People trust us, and we work to keep that trust."

Like many specialty stores, Back to Basics maintains a library of reference books, magazine and journal articles, and manufacturers' information. Knowledge is critical, McKniff says, because today people use supplements to help with a wide variety of conditions--high cholesterol, high blood pressure, menopause, weight control, diabetes, fatigue and so on.

"We encourage people to educate themselves so that they can take charge of their own health," she says.

Continually providing nutritional information is also a top priority for Henry's Marketplace, a 19-store grocery chain in southern California that's owned by Wild Oats. Patti Milligan, the company's corporate nutritionist, spends almost all of her time training and educating employees, writing informative articles, conducting media interviews--whatever it takes to get the word out about healthy living and natural products.

"We've positioned ourselves to be a nutrition resource," Milligan says. The stores continually conduct "nutritional tours" that focus on various topics. Henry's also sponsors seminars, cooking classes and community health fairs.

Milligan says that as customers become more knowledgeable about supplements, they ask for more detailed information. To help answer those questions--and to help educate sales staff--Henry's has its own panel of experts that includes medical doctors, naturopaths, herb and supplement experts, nutritionists and other complementary health care practitioners.

The work that all these specialty stores perform represents a major commitment to customer service. They don't go to work every day just to stock shelves and shout about discounts.

"If you want the cheapest supplements, don't come to my store," Lankford says. "But if you want quality products and you want to talk to a trained staff that's still going to be here the next time you come in, then this is where you should shop."