Start a The Vitamin Shoppe Franchise in 2024

2024 Franchise 500 Rank: #308 Ranked #418 last year

Initial investment: $484K - $985K

Units as of 2024: 700 1% over 3 years

The Vitamin Shoppe, founded in 1977, provides consumers with a wide array of health and wellness items such as supplements, proteins, healthy weight products, and more. Customers may purchase these products both in-store and via its online apps. The Vitamin Shoppe prides itself on trying to help people achieve their best selves, whatever they define it.

The Vitamin Shoppe began franchising in 2021 and is actively seeking to add franchisees to its repertoire.

Why You May Want To Start a The Vitamin Shoppe Franchise

Opening a health and wellness-centered franchise may require a franchisee to have some interest in the business's core values. This means that a franchisee looking to open a The Vitamin Shoppe should be conscious about their health and want to make an impact on others' health, too.

Additionally, you should be well-versed in the field of business to run your venture correctly. While prior experience in sales and marketing may not be a prerequisite for a franchisee, it may come in handy as you run the business.

What Might Make a The Vitamin Shoppe Franchise a Good Choice?

Opening a The Vitamin Shoppe franchise could offer a more predictable outcome than investing in a completely new brand that may struggle to thrive in an already crowded and competitive industry.

Furthermore, the increasing global concern around health and wellness may make The Vitamin Shoppe's products more appealing to a larger audience. The Vitamin Shoppe believes it is touted to be one of the biggest businesses in the health and wellness category, which is another reason why you may want to open.

To be part of The Vitamin Shoppe franchise team, you should make sure you're financially ready for an initial investment made up of a franchise fee and other startup costs. In addition, you should prepare yourself for ongoing fees that will include advertising, royalty, and potential renewal fees. Franchisees will also need to meet the company's set net worth and liquid capital requirements.

How To Open a The Vitamin Shoppe Franchise

The franchise application process for a The Vitamin Shoppe franchise starts with the franchisee filling out a basic application form that captures all your details. After this, you will go through a market evaluation process with the business development manager. The purpose of this step is to ascertain that this business opportunity will work in the territory at which you are considering.

You'll also want to evaluate how well you may be able to sustain your The Vitamin Shoppe franchise in the long run. Do you have the clientele? Are there any gyms or other fitness centers nearby? Learning what other businesses complement a The Vitamin Shoppe could also help you decide where to locate it.

If awarded a franchise, franchisees may receive a great deal of support from The Vitamin Shoppe franchise throughout the franchising process. In addition to pre-opening training, franchisees receive support through brand awareness, marketing, research, and construction. Franchisees may also receive hands-on training and continued support after their franchise location has opened.

Company Overview

About The Vitamin Shoppe

Industry	Health & Wellness
Related Categories	Vitamin Stores, Miscellaneous Health Products, Retail, Miscellaneous Retail Businesses
Founded	1977
Parent Company	Franchise Group Inc.
Leadership	Scott Harvey, Franchise
Corporate Address	300 Harmon Meadow Blvd. Secaucus, NJ 07094
Social	Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Business Overview

Franchising Since	2021 (3 years)
# of employees at HQ	6,500
Where seeking	This company is offering new franchises worldwide. This company is offering new franchises in the following US states: Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Iowa, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Montana, North Carolina, North Dakota, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, Nevada, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia, Vermont, Wisconsin, West Virginia, Wyoming
# of Units	700 (as of 2024)

Information for Franchisees

Here's what you need to know if you're interested in opening a The Vitamin Shoppe franchise.

Financial Requirements & Ongoing Fees

Here's what you can expect to spend to start the business and what ongoing fees the franchisor charges throughout the life of the business.

Initial Franchise Fee Definition: The initial fee paid to a franchisor to join their system What you need to know: Found in Item 5 of the FDD, this may be a flat fee, or may vary based on territory size, experience, or other factors.The franchise fee is an up-front (one-time) cost that a new franchisee pays to the franchisor. This fee is usually due at the signing of the franchise agreement and covers the right to use the franchisor's trademarks, name, and related business systems.	$39,900
Initial Investment Definition: The total amount necessary to begin operation of the franchise What you need to know: The initial investment includes the franchise fee, along with other startup expenses such as real estate, equipment, supplies, business licenses, and working capital. This is outlined in a chart in Item 7 of the FDD, showing a range of possible costs from low to high.	$483,900 - $984,900
Net Worth Requirement Definition: The minimum net worth you must have in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company What you need to know: Net worth is the value of a person's assets minus liabilities. Assets include cash, stocks, retirement accounts, and real estate. Liabilities include items like mortgages, car payments, and credit card debt.	$850,000
Cash Requirement Definition: The minimum liquid capital you must have available in order to qualify to become a franchisee of this company.	$250,000
Veteran Incentives Definition: A discount or other incentive offered to military veterans who buy a franchise with this company.	20% off first-store franchise fee
Royalty Fee Definition: A ongoing fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis. What you need to know: Most franchisors require franchisees to pay an ongoing royalty fee, which is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD. This fee is typically a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales, but may also be a flat weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	5%
Ad Royalty Fee Definition: An going fee paid to the franchisor on a regular basis to support advertising or marketing efforts. What you need to know: This may also be called advertising fee, marketing fee, brand fund fee, and more, but the basic purpose is the same-- to support promotion of the brand systemwide. As with the royalty fee, it is detailed in Item 6 of the FDD, and can be a percentage of weekly or monthly gross sales or a weekly, monthly, or annual fee.	2%+
Term of Agreement Definition: The length of time your franchise agreement will last. What you need to know: Franchise terms are typically anywhere from 5 to 20 years in length, but are sometimes instead dependent on factors such as the term of your lease. Once your term is up, you may have the option to renew your agreement, typically for a smaller fee than the original franchise fee.	10 years
Is franchise term renewable?	Yes

Financing Options

Some franchisors offer in-house financing, while others have relationships with third-party financing sources to which they refer qualified franchisees.

Third Party Financing	The Vitamin Shoppe has relationships with third-party sources which offer financing to cover the following: startup costs, equipment, inventory

Training & Support Offered

Franchisors offer initial training programs and a variety of ongoing support options to help franchisees run their businesses.

On-The-Job Training	80 hours
Classroom Training	19 hours
Ongoing Support	Purchasing Co-ops Newsletter Meetings & Conventions Toll-Free Line Grand Opening Online Support Security & Safety Procedures Lease Negotiation Field Operations Site Selection Proprietary Software Franchisee Intranet Platform
Marketing Support	Ad Templates Regional Advertising Social Media SEO Website Development Email Marketing Loyalty Program/App

Operations

Additional details about running this franchise.

Is absentee ownership allowed?	Yes
Can this franchise be run from home/mobile unit? Definition: The business can be run from your home and/or a vehicle, and it is not necessary to have a retail facility, office space, or warehouse.	No
Can this franchise be run part time? Definition: This business can be run by the owner on a part-time basis (less than 40 hours per week) and/or as a side business; it is not necessary for the business to be open/run full-time.	No
# of employees required to run	5
Are exclusive territories available? Definition: An exclusive territory is a fixed area in which you are given the right to operate and in which no other units of the same franchise may be opened. What you need to know: Territory size may be based on factors such as radius, population size, zip codes, and more. Details can be found in Item 12 of the FDD.	Yes