Yesterday MNB reported that vitamins-and-supplements retailer GNC has signed a distribution deal with Walmart that will put a range of GNC-branded vitamins into more than 4,000 Walmart stores, with the goal being to expand the presence to additional sports nutrition and weight-management products.
I commented:
It may be that smaller retailers that traditionally have had a physical presence are going to have to find a new way to reach shoppers in a bricks-and-mortar environment. Selling products through other, bigger stores is one way toi do that, whether it means being in mainline shelf sets or having targeted boutiques where it makes sense.
Probably going to see a lot more of this.
One MNB reader responded:
Small independent health store retailers have the edge….it is called educated staff in the isle to sell the products/companies they represent, something you won’t find in mass market.
MNB reader Mike Moon chimed in:
I can't help but wonder how the high/low business model of GNC will clash with the EDLP model of Walmart. GNC is very high priced every day, but has great monthly specials. Walmart is going to be cheap on it every day. Why would I ever visit a GNC store again? If I was a franchisee, I would be pissed.
Good point.
On a different subject, one MNB reader wrote:
Knowing that you're a big fan of Subscribe and Save, I'm surprised Amazon (not that they need my help!) hasn't come out with this: "If you had used subscribe and save last year, based on your purchases, you would have saved xx dollars!" Boom!
It is a fair observation, but the reason may be that Amazon doesn't see Subscribe and Save as a price play, but rather as a convenience play. I use the program for maybe 20 or so items, and as long as the prices seem reasonable, I don't even question them - it is all about not having to go to the store for items for which it simply does not matter. I have other, better things to do with my time.
Responding to my FaceTime video yesterday, one MNB reader wrote:
Great commentary on the side benefits of the Zoom call! Maybe a new interview question when in–person interviewing resumes (here in Canada who the hell knows when that will occur) could be “so if we were doing this interview via a Zoom call and you were at home, what might I see in the background.“
Might get some interesting insight into the candidate!
Or maybe just make sure one interview in a series of conversations is done online.
And finally, from MNB reader Monte Stowell:
I could not agree more with your comments about Jacob Degrom. You need to enlighten your readers with Jacob Degrom’s season to date statistics. Right now, his season to date stats will totally rewrite the record books for the greatest year for a starting pitcher. His ERA, his pitching velocity, and strikeout rates are insane. There is nobody in MLB that comes close to what he is doing.
And he's ours.
At least for now.
