Select GNC Private Label Products to Launch Exclusively at Sam's Club

PITTSBURGH and BENTONVILLE, Ark., March 1, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- For the first time in a warehouse club, General Nutrition Centers, Inc. today announced that it will offer selected private label GNC products at Sam's Club locations.  The offering will support Sam's Club's increased focus on health and wellness-oriented consumers through more robust offerings of natural supplements and sports nutrition items while increasing the visibility of GNC's specialty retailing brand with mass market customers.

Approximately 400 Sam's Club locations will launch two products in March:

• 2-pound container of GNC Pro Performance® AMP Amplified 100% Whey Protein ($18.98)
• 1.7-pound bottle of GNC Total Lean™ Lean Shake™, a diet product ($22.98)

Both products are popular sellers among GNC's customers and will provide a significant value to Sam's Club members who are focused on maintaining and enhancing their health.  Throughout the year, GNC will rotate pallets of its top-selling items in select Sam's Club locations, focusing on robust and unique GNC private label formulas that will resonate with Sam's Club members.

"GNC is a global leader in specialty retailing of nutritional supplement products that address the needs of health and wellness consumers," said Tom Dowd, EVP, Store Operations & Development for GNC.  "This partnership with Sam's Club provides an excellent opportunity to introduce the GNC brands to consumers who may not be familiar with the quality and value of our products.  Working with Sam's Club, we will introduce the mass market customer to the GNC brand and our strongest formulas at an attractive price."

"At the same time," Dowd added, "we are excited to work with Sam's Club to help them develop better offerings for their members.  We believe that GNC's beneficial formulas and unique offerings will create excitement in the health and wellness area of these Sam's Club locations.  We believe the result will help Sam's Club win over both the serious and educated supplement customer while increasing the visibility and reach of the GNC brand."

"At Sam's Club, we are committed to offering our members solutions that help them achieve their health and wellness goals," said Jill Turner-Mitchael, senior vice president, Sam's Club Health and Wellness.  "Through this exclusive alliance with GNC, a leader in the nutritional products industry, our Sam's Club members will have access to this high quality brand of these popular dietary supplements at a great value."  

About Sam's Club

Sam's Club, a division of Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT), and the nation's eighth largest retailer and a leading membership warehouse club, offers superior products and services to more than 47 million members in clubs across the U.S., as well as in Brazil, China and Mexico.  Members save an average of 30 percent over grocery and specialty retailers.  To learn more about Savings Made SimpleSM, visit SamsClub.com, and look for Sam's Club on Twitter and Facebook.

About GNC

GNC, headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., is a leading global specialty retailer of nutritional products including vitamin, mineral, herbal and other specialty supplements and sports nutrition, diet and energy products.  As of December 31, 2010, GNC has more than 7,200 locations, of which more than 5,800 retail locations are in the United States (including 903 franchise and 2,003 Rite Aid franchise store-within-a-store locations), and franchise operations in 46 countries.  The Company – which is dedicated to helping consumers Live Well – also offers products and product information online at www.gnc.com.

SOURCE General Nutrition Centers, Inc.