If you’re looking to find out how to get retailers to carry your vitamins and supplements, your answers are here.

What if there was an industry that was practically recession proof, and was guaranteed to grow by $1 billion every year?

Guess what? There is!

The vitamin and nutritional supplements industry is exploding, and isn’t going anywhere anytime soon—except for up.

In fact, a recent report from Statista projects that within the next two years, the vitamins and nutritional supplements industry in the U.S. will hit $36.1 billion.

Cha-ching!

We didn’t share that stat to throw around a bunch of numbers. Here’s why it’s important:

As the industry grows, so will your need to differentiate your vitamin and supplements brand from your competition.

Not only is it going to be more difficult to convince retailers to carry your products, but your product packaging and labeling have to be top-notch because you’ll be competing for prime shelf space.

Here are three tips to get retailers to carry your vitamins and supplements (and beat your competition at the same time.)

1. Do some good old-fashioned market research.
Before you hit up Google or Bing for market research tips and tricks, take a trip to your local health food store, or a retailer you’d like to carry your products and browse the vitamin and supplements section.

Pay attention to the labels that catch your eye and grab your attention. Make notes (you can even use your phone to take photos), and look for color palettes that stand out on certain labels.

Are end caps being used well?  These small observations can generate big ideas (and big returns) for your company.

2. Make sure your labels contain ALL the key FDA requirements.
When it comes time to start meeting with retailers or distributors, having the proper information on your labels gives you a better chance of getting on their shelves.

Also, highlighting the fact that your products meet or exceed FDA guidelines creates more trust with your brand.

NOTE: It’s critical that your labels are correct, and contain the proper information.

Working with an experienced Label and Packaging Consultant who understands both the copy and design/branding aspects of the supplements industry is a huge time and money saver for your company.

3. Make sure your product looks professionally designed.
As we said earlier in this post, competition is going to be stiff in the coming years and it’s imperative that you get it right the first time. Otherwise, there may not be a second time.

If you’re a Product Manager or a General Manager, you’re probably not a graphic designer or printer.  Remember that your packaging should reflect what your customers will want, and not necessarily your own design preferences.  Again, that’s where utilizing the experience of a Label and Packaging Consultant on your team comes into play.

Question: What tips do you have for getting into retailers? We’d love to know!

Do you need help navigating the whitewater of product packaging material specification, print compliance, and shipping specs, we’d love to chat!

Need more help with your product packaging project? Click here to schedule a 15 minute consultation so we can learn more about your print packaging needs.

Sources:
Entrepreneur: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/224577