Starting My Own Brick & Mortar Supplement Store—tell me why I’m an idiot (or not)

Dream big and don't let anyone tell you what you can and can't do.

I like the idea of the beverages. I like the idea of green teas with extra stuff like ashwagandha or turmeric in it.

Maybe you can make smoothies but ones with supplements in them and quality proteins.

I think smoothie places suck because they don't offer what I like in my smoothies like chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds, matcha, beet root powder, etc. Also, they need to add quality greens, not just fruit. Maybe you can be the guy who does it right.

I think a ton of people just buy what they want online. So you'd have to really market yourself as a place that you significantly benefit from going to you to get knowledge on what that person might actually need. But then once you tell them, what stops them from just ordering their next batch online for a cheaper price? At that point the only benefit of having the store is they can buy it 'now' instead of having to wait days for it to ship. But I don't know how much people care about needing a new bottle of supplements the same day.

Examine why you are looking at brick & mortar, instead of an online presence. Not saying you're right/wrong, but you haven't said why it makes sense. Not to mention, online has extreme benefits if it works out- freedom, lack of month-month rent, etc..

Thanks for the inspiration, and I'm totally with you on the smoothies/drinks idea. I think it could really differentiate us. There's something about the act of drinking that just makes it feel like the supplements are infusing your body more so than swallowing a pill.

That's a very good point. I guess it would have to be a place where the connection and ambience keeps you coming back. (That and the convenience of having it someday, but I see your point--most people probably don't care about waiting a few days.) I think a decent amount of our business could still come from online sales.

Understood. You can't escape the reality of online for sure, and so I think an online store would need to be a component of the business. I get why people would think I'm an idiot for a brick and mortar store. It adds so much in terms of expense, time, etc. I guess I just have a desire to have something tangible, that I could actually "see" and build and where I could interact with others. Maybe I've spent too much time in front of a computer these past 20 years, who knows. I think there's something to be said about a store adding some "credibility" to your business as well. Call me old fashioned, but your point is well taken.

If you're doing a supplement store geared toward endurance runners the market might not be there. You might need to have creatine store or whatever with a corner of it dedicated to stuff for endurance athletes. Don't know really but you should figure out a way to prove the concept before you sink your life savings into it.

I think you need to have something else in this shop as well to attract people there, to compete with the online world. Something along the lines of massage, some kind of analysis of the customer, a little cafe with homemade energy bars or something. Something else to offer that they can't get on their computer. There's a reason why experience-based places are doing so much better than straightforward shops in town centres now.

Do you have any experience working in this type of store? If not, you may want to cop some experience at a place like GNC, etc to learn the game. I no longer step foot in places like that because it's a bunch of hourly wage completely checked out high school/college workers who don't want to bother with you.

Final thought is you may not want to limit your draw to just athletes/active people. The shop should probably be inviting to all. A lot of unhealthy inactive people are always looking for the next miracle supplement and their money is just as green.

Good advice. I was thinking there needs to be some sort of experience factor. The idea of a chill lounge came to mind, perhaps a cafe. I'm a little apprehensive of going too much into food or drink service given that's probably more licensing and permitting.

No experience in this area. Obviously that is not ideal. I do agree that the store can't be too intimidating, it needs to be inviting to all, esp. folks who are into the whole "wellness" scene but not necessarily into running, etc.

Probably not a wise move. Look at the failure rate of start ups. Do you think you are that much smarter than all these other folks?

An issue is probably going to be getting a line of credit with suppliers otherwise you likely are paying for stuff long before you sell anything. Then you have to rent/lease a store. It needs to be in a high traffic area to start with and those will be more expensive unless you think people are going to drive cross town to shop at "AmIidiot Useless Supplement" store right off the bat.

You are not just competing with other supplement stores or online sellers, you are competing with Target and WalMart on some things maybe Kroger too.

Running a business means many hours of work before and/or after the store hours especially early on when you are going to be working the register to save money on paying someone. Oh and the turnover is probably going to be high so you will be constantly hiring.

That is not even bringing into the discussion that few supplements actually do what they are marketed to do.

A selling point could be you vetting the suppliers. You can find deals online but you are sifting through all sorts of companies you've never heard of.

Endurance pros don’t even have great nutrition so now you’re in an ultra niche. bad idea

just have your 'retail' presence be nothing more than a sign and storage for your amazon and various other selling platform estores

Hahahhahahahhahahahahahaha!!!

Hey rich boy, open a running store also just in case you want to lose all your money. Nerd face. Give away free supplements and your smoothies as a “grand opening”, then I’ll go buy the ones I like on Amazon for cheaper. Dork 🖕🖕🖕Your idea sucks!!!! Hahahhahahhahaha!!! Great idea, in 1992. Nerd!!! Hahahhaahahahaa!!

Hey nerd boy,

when’s your GNC knock off open ?? It’s hot, I’m thirsty and wanting my free “energize” smoothie. Hahahahahaa!! Hey supplement business owner, do I get a free shaker for my smoothies? Can I buy one of your $35 tank tops?

Hey supplement business boy, I was in your store on Saturday.

Your smoothies and maca powder you sold me gave me diarrhea. I want a full refund of my $220 or else I’m gonna give you a 1 star on Yelp and report you to the BBB. I want my refund by the end of today.

My gut says this is really tough to make work, even in an online store but doubly so in b&m. People who take supplements are either super particular about what they buy, so the brand you carry might not have the correct ratio of proteins for them, or they are like me who don't care too much and buy everything at Costco or somewhere online. I can't picture going out of my way to buy supplements. Plus you have no retail or procurement experience. And retail work sucks. And TBH this is not a very original idea. I bet every week multiple influencers try to create a new amazing online health brand.