Is your in-gym store producing the results that you want? Are you getting the activity from the supplements that you sell to justify the space they are taking up? Are your members aware of all of the products you have available for them and the benefits those products offer? If not, read on for some proven ideas for increasing sales and profits while bringing more health benefits to your members. For those facilities that are not selling any supplements, please see my articles on getting started in the January or February issues of ClubSolutions.
Many of you are selling a line of supplements made specifically for your gym, or simply a full line of products from a single provider. You’ve got vitamins, fat burners, carb blockers…every kind of pill or capsule someone might want to swallow. But, what about the whole segment of the population that won’t, or can’t, swallow pills? What about the people who are in doubt that those pills do anything for them? What about the people who don’t see the difference between your pills and the ones at the grocery store? It may be time to augment that line of supplements with some additional items that will capture the segments of your clients that aren’t currently purchasing supplements from you.
I know you may be concerned about cannibalizing the sales of the products to which you are already committed. I know there are many excellent supplement regimens. However, I would like to present some ideas that can increase your overall sales by both offering additional liquid supplements and by revitalizing interest in your existing line. Just as your members don’t all workout the same way and don’t all have the same goals for their workouts, they also don’t all have the same tastes or needs in supplements. So, if you offer them a different solution, you have the opportunity to meet their needs with different products.
Your trainers are already recommending supplements to your members and serving as expert advisors on nutrition. Likewise, they know that they can purchase supplements in your store. By offering an additional line of liquid supplements, you have just expanded your area of expertise. Your members’ perception of your club’s vitamin recommendations will move up from being “sold your supplements” to having a nutrition expert consult with them on what best fits their needs. This is akin to doctors clustering in medical plazas, providing one-stop service. Bringing together multiple choices for the consumer in a community is done in so many settings because it is good for business for everyone in the community. Consumers then cluster to that location because they know they have a good chance of finding what they need.
I spoke with Art Druhl of Powerhouse Gyms in Jacksonville, FL today, and he confirmed this strategy. When he added liquid vitamins to his offerings, not only did his total supplement sales go up, but because of his sampling program, sales of his other vitamins went up as well. Upon bringing in the new liquid multi-vitamin, he set up some sampling opportunities for his members. This gave his trainers and salespeople the opportunity to remind people of their need for a good multivitamin. They realized that they didn’t have to be a heavy lifter or be looking to bulk up, to need some nutritional support. Consequently, the new line took off, as well as sales of the two other multi-vitamins he was already selling. In fact, I have just moved from a regional trial with a national fitness chain (which has their own supplement line) to a national contract with them because they experienced the exact same increase.
The criteria that I recommend for adding a product line extension are:
1. Add something a little different or unique from your other offerings such as liquids and unique delivery methods.
2. Keep the quality high for all of your offerings; don’t bring the standard grocery store fare.
3. Look for a company that can provide some good POS materials and support.
4. Look for a company that will support you with sampling help.
5. When shopping liquid vitamins, look for good taste with low sugar, and avoid thick syrupy brands – if people don’t like it, they won’t take it.
For a free nutritional evaluation test that your trainers can use with your members and a great addition to your sampling discussions, send an email to me at sscott@fullperformancefitness.com.
Susan Scott is the CEO of Full Performance Fitness Inc. She can be contacted at 866.819.3926, or by email atsscott@fullperformancefitness.com, or visit www.FullPerformanceFitness.com. by Susan Scott
