The Vitamin Shoppe and Follett Higher Education Group Partner to Bring Health and Wellness Solutions to Campus Bookstores Across the United States

A range of popular supplements, such as vitamins, protein powders, collagen and immunity support products are now easily accessible to college students in-store and online

SECAUCUS, N.J., Aug. 1, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vitamin Shoppe, an omnichannel specialty retailer of nutritional products, today announced a partnership with Follett Higher Education Group, to bring its high-quality health and wellness solutions to campus bookstore locations around the United States. Follett is the largest campus store operator in North America, serving over 1,100 colleges and universities as a one-stop shop for class and campus living.

Beginning this month, The Vitamin Shoppe now offers students at select Follett stores, and their corresponding e-commerce sites, a selection of foundational health vitamins and supplements, sports nutrition products, and academic performance products that support sleep, mood and brain health. Merchandised in dedicated, branded displays, these wellness solutions bring the trusted quality and expertise of The Vitamin Shoppe directly to students seeking to support their physical and emotional well-being.

"We are thrilled to partner with the premier operator of college bookstores to bring some of our most popular and effective products to students around the country, supporting their wellness needs during an important period of growth and development in their lives," said Sharon Leite, CEO of The Vitamin Shoppe. "We look forward to making our vitamins, minerals, proteins, collagens, immunity support, and other high-demand categories easily accessible to students on campuses and in college towns across the country. This is a key demographic that is increasingly focused on holistic health concerns and Follett is the ideal partner for us to provide them with the quality, innovation and expertise that The Vitamin Shoppe is known for."

Emmanuel Kolady, CEO of Follett Higher Education, commented: "At Follett, we are actively working to enhance the product mix in our campus stores. We believe this is an exciting opportunity to partner with The Vitamin Shoppe, a marquee brand in the health and wellness space, and this category has increased relevance today amongst the student population. We know when students feel their best, it can translate to success in the classroom. So, we are excited to partner with The Vitamin Shoppe to further enhance our goal of improving student outcomes by conveniently offering first-class health and wellness products."

Under the partnership, The Vitamin Shoppe is launching in a select group of college and university bookstores, across a diverse range of locations, such as Babson College, Boston College, Bowie State University, Georgia State, Indiana University at Bloomington, Pepperdine University, Smith College, Stanford University, Tennessee State at Nashville, The Citadel, University of Florida at Gainesville, University of Texas at Dallas, and other campuses. The partnership will expand to additional locations and product assortments, such as on-the-go energy drinks and protein bars, as it progresses in future semesters.

Available brands at launch include The Vitamin Shoppe^®, BodyTech^®, BodyTech^® Elite, plnt^® and TrueYou™. Each of these brands is exclusive to The Vitamin Shoppe and is put through rigorous quality assurance steps, with ingredient purity and potency verified by independent, third-party labs. Shoppers can feel confident that all products from The Vitamin Shoppe family of brands meet or exceed industry quality standards. 

For more information about The Vitamin Shoppe and Follett Higher Education Group, please visit www.vitaminshoppe.com and www.highered.follett.com.

Lifelong Wellness Starts Here™. The Vitamin Shoppe®, a subsidiary of Franchise Group Inc. (NASDAQ: FRG), is a global, omnichannel specialty retailer and wellness lifestyle Company with the mission of providing customers with the most trusted products, guidance, and services to support them on their journeys of lifelong wellness. Based in Secaucus, New Jersey, the Company offers a comprehensive assortment of nutritional solutions, including vitamins, minerals, specialty supplements, herbs, sports nutrition, homeopathic remedies, green living products, and natural beauty products. In addition to carrying products from approximately 700 national brands, The Vitamin Shoppe offers products from its proprietary brands within its owned and wholesale channels, including: The Vitamin Shoppe^®, Vthrive The Vitamin Shoppe™, BodyTech^®, BodyTech^® Elite, fitfactor™, fitfactor KETO™, plnt^®, ProBioCare^®, True Athlete^®, and TrueYou™. In the U.S., the Company conducts business through over 700 company-operated retail stores under The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements™ banners, and via its website, www.vitaminshoppe.com. The company is expanding its retail footprint via an innovative, omnichannel franchising model and opened its first franchise store in 2022. Globally, The Vitamin Shoppe serves customers in select Asia, South America, and Central America markets through local omnichannel partners.

Follett Higher Education is a prominent and historic omni channel retailer and educational service provider supporting students, faculty, campus administration, alumni, and the surrounding community. Currently ranked #66 on Digital Commerce 360's 2022 Top 1000 list, with more than 1,100 physical and 1,750 eCommerce collegiate retail stores across North America. It is one of the world's largest sources of physical and digital academic content as well as emblematic collegiate merchandise from more than 6,000 publishers and merchandise partners to millions of students. Known for its inclusive access program, Follett ACCESS, Follett is changing equitable access to course materials on more than 300 campuses and growing every day. At Follett Higher Education, we enable faculty to teach, students to learn, institutions to run and fans to celebrate. 

SOURCE The Vitamin Shoppe