Industry-Leading Functional Mushroom Brand, FreshCap, Launches Exclusive Brick-and-Mortar Retail Partnership with GNC

On a mission to bring mushroom wellness to the masses, FreshCap will be available online and at 1500 GNC locations nationwide

CHICAGO, Feb. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- FreshCap, the functional mushroom brand utilizing whole fruiting bodies to support a wide range of powerful benefits, announced today a nationwide partnership with GNC. The leading nutritional supplement retailer will have brick-and-mortar exclusivity to FreshCap's best-selling line of high-quality functional mushroom products, all of which are non-GMO, certified organic and analytically tested to guarantee high levels of active beneficial compounds. The products will be available online immediately and rolled out to 1500 retail locations in March.

GNC will carry four of FreshCap's beloved mushroom-based products, each formulated to promote health and longevity by increasing immunity, stress relief, cognitive function and more. The GNC-exclusive products include: 

• Lion's Mane Capsules ($27.99, 60-count) – the "brain mushroom" used for cognition, focus, and mental clarity.
• Cordyceps Capsules ($27.99, 60-count) – the ultimate mushroom for energy and endurance.
• Ultimate Mushroom Capsules ($27.99, 60-count) and Powder ($34.99, 60 grams) – the ultimate blend (Lion's Mane, Turkey Tail, Reishi, Cordyceps, Maitake, Chaga) for immunity, cognition, and energy.

"More of our customers are curious about and asking for Lion's Mane and other functional mushrooms, so we are beyond excited to be the exclusive retail partner for this innovative and inspiring brand," said Gwynne Maiorana, Director, DMM Merchandising – Weight Management, Herbs & Greens, and Health & Beauty, GNC. "The FreshCap ethos of bringing mushroom wellness to the masses aligns perfectly with GNC's mission to provide our customers with high-quality, science-based products and solutions."

FreshCap was founded in Alberta, Canada in 2015 by Tony and Tegan Shields. Frustrated by the influx of brands that use fillers like Mycelium on Grain that strip mushrooms of powerful beta-glucans, triterpenes and other unique compounds, Tony and Tegan first introduced FreshCap as a gourmet mushroom farm and educational website. By 2017, they evolved the FreshCap brand to include a wide variety of extract products that utilize whole mushroom fruiting bodies from regions with a rich history of mushroom cultivation. Now the leading voice in mushroom education, FreshCap has a cult following on YouTube with 466K followers and regular programming including "The Mushroom Show." FreshCap was acquired in 2023 by Heyday, a next generation consumer product goods company that acquires, builds and grows consumer-first, digitally native brands; since acquisition, sales have increased 70% year over year.

"Tony and Tegan created FreshCap to introduce people to the world's highest quality mushroom products and to make it easy for them to incorporate functional mushrooms into their daily lives," said Trish Kozlak, Head of Retail at Heyday. "GNC is one of the most trusted names when it comes to supplements, nutrition and wellness, so our goal with this exclusive partnership is to make it easy for customers that aren't already 'mushroom nerds' to begin exploring the countless powerful benefits of these superfoods."

To learn more about FreshCap and its offerings, please visit the website and follow along on social media @freshcapmushrooms.

About FreshCap
Founded in 2015 by Tony and Tegan Shields, FreshCap is the leading authority on mushroom-based wellness. Utilizing only whole mushroom fruiting bodies for its extract powders and capsules (never Mycelium on Grain), FreshCap thoroughly extracts beneficial compounds and analytically tests every batch to ensure customers get the mushrooms they deserve. FreshCap was acquired by Heyday, a platform for digital brand creation, in 2023. To learn more about FreshCap and its offerings, please visit www.freshcap.com and follow along on YouTube, Instagram and Facebook.

About Heyday
Heyday is a next generation consumer product goods company pioneering a digital first approach to brand building. They acquire digital-first, rapidly emerging brands and transform them into omnichannel, household brands. Once a part of the Heyday portfolio, brands tap into technology, data, channel expertise, and growth marketing capabilities custom-built to drive exponential revenue and profit growth. Heyday has raised over $800 million from visionary investors such as The Raine Group, Premji Invest, Victory Park Capital, General Catalyst and Khosla Ventures. For more information, visit www.heyday.co.

About GNC
GNC is a leading global health and wellness brand that provides high-quality, science-based products and solutions consumers need to live mighty, live fit, and Live Well. The brand touches consumers worldwide by providing its products and services through company-owned retail locations, domestic and international franchise locations, digital commerce and strong wholesale and retail partnerships across the globe. GNC's diversified, multi-channel business model has worldwide reach and a well-recognized, trusted brand. By combining exceptional innovation, product development capabilities and an extensive global distribution network, GNC manages a best-in-class product portfolio. For more information, visit www.gnc.com.

Press Contacts
For FreshCap
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For GNC
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SOURCE FreshCap