Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. Announces International Expansion

SECAUCUS, N.J., Dec. 7, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- The Vitamin Shoppe®, a multi-channel specialty retailer and manufacturer of nutritional products is pleased to announce the opening of the first two Vitamin Shoppe franchise stores in Paraguay.  In addition, the Company's other franchisees have recently opened two additional stores in Panama and two in Guatemala.  Year-to-date, the Company's existing international franchisees have opened a total of five stores in Guatemala, four in Panama, three in Costa Rica and two in Paraguay.  In total, there are now 16 The Vitamin Shoppe international franchise stores in operation in four countries.

The franchise stores in Paraguay will be operated by The Vitamin Shoppe's newest international franchisee, Vigor S.A., a sister company of London Import S.A. a family owned and operated business in Paraguay.  London Import S.A. is a well-established importer of confectionery, packaged foods and beverages, working with major global brands such as Mentos, Heinz and Robert Mondavi winery.  On December 7, 2016, The Vitamin Shoppe and Vigor S.A. celebrated the grand opening of the first two stores in the greater Asunción area the country's capital and largest city.  The Vitamin Shoppe stores offer consumers a curated selection of approximately 500 SKUs of The Vitamin Shoppe's proprietary brands and other leading third-party brand products.  The franchisee is expected to open a total of five The Vitamin Shoppe stores over the next four years in Paraguay.

Commenting on the new stores, David Denker, Director, International Development for The Vitamin Shoppe stated, "The current year has been an exciting one for the Vitamin Shoppe on the international front.  We are pleased that our brand, health and wellness lifestyle and product selection continues to resonate with consumers.  We are delighted to have entered the Paraguayan market, which represents the third new international market that we have brought The Vitamin Shoppe stores to this year."

Douglas Kennedy, Director of Vigor S.A. commented, "We have known The Vitamin Shoppe for many years and are very excited to be partnering with the Company, to bring The Vitamin Shoppe stores to Paraguay.  We are bringing in a unique retail experience and a wide variety of products that were previously unavailable in the country and consumers have responded favorably to the new stores and we are delighted to be offering customers high quality supplements as well as working with them on how to live a health and wellness lifestyle.  We look forward to working with The Vitamin Shoppe as we continue to open new stores in Paraguay over the next several years."

In additional news, the Vitamin Shoppe is also pleased to announce that the New Jersey District Export council has awarded the Company the Export Achievement Certificate.  The Export Achievement Certificate was created in 2001 by the Commercial Service to recognize U.S. companies, particularly small and mid-size enterprises (SMEs), for their exporting activities.

About Vitamin Shoppe, Inc. (NYSE: VSI)

The Vitamin Shoppe is a multi-channel, specialty retailer and contract manufacturer of nutritional products based in Secaucus, New Jersey.  In its stores and on its website, the Company carries a comprehensive retail assortment including: vitamins, minerals, specialty supplements, herbs, sports nutrition, homeopathic remedies, green living products, and beauty aids.  In addition to offering products from approximately 850 national brands, the Vitamin Shoppe also carries products under The Vitamin Shoppe®, BodyTech®, True Athlete®, MyTrition®, plnt®, ProBioCare®, Next Step® and Betancourt Nutrition® brands.  The Vitamin Shoppe conducts business through more than 750 company-operated retail stores under The Vitamin Shoppe and Super Supplements retail banners, and primarily through its website, www.vitaminshoppe.com.  Follow The Vitamin Shoppe on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/THEVITAMINSHOPPE and on Twitter at http://twitter.com/VitaminShoppe.

SOURCE Vitamin Shoppe, Inc.

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http://www.vitaminshoppe.com