Vitamin Shoppe

The Vitamin Shoppe’s CEO is stepping down by “mutual agreement.”

Vitamin Shoppe wants more customers to become members of its subscription service.

Taking a page out of Birchbox's play book, The Vitamin Shoppe is going to be sending out personalized sample boxes of new products.    

Dollar General has added a Vitamin Shoppe veteran to its ranks as executive VP and chief merchandising officer.   Jason Reiser, most recently executive VP and COO of Vitamin Shoppe, will join the discounter, effective July 12. He replaces the recently retired Jim Thorpe.   Reiser brings with him to Dollar General more than 30 years’ experience in retail management, private brand sourcing and regulatory affairs. He also is a trained pharmacist.  

Vitamin Shoppe missed profit expectations for its first quarter, amid challenges with its Nutri-Force contact manufacturing division.    Vitamin Shoppe posted net income of $8.0 million for the quarter ended April 1, compared to $14.8 million in the same period last year.  Reported fully diluted earnings per share were $0.35 in first quarter 2017, compared to $0.59 in first quarter 2016.    

Target Corp. is deploying a number of solutions to reduce its energy use.     The retailer, recently named Energy Star Partner of the Year for the second year in a row, counts more than 1,400 of its buildings as having Energy Star status — the Environmental Protection Agency’s certification of energy efficiency — more than any other retailer. And the number is still growing as Target works towards its goal of having at least 80% of its buildings certified by 2020.  

One of the nation’s largest franchisees will soon also be operating GNC stores.

Moving ahead with its plan to reduce its corporate-owned store footprint, GNC announced plans to sell 84 company-owned locations to Dallas-based Sun Holdings for about $17 million. The retailer revealed the sale amid disappointing first quarter results.

Starbucks Corp. announced a major initiative to help the nation’s neediest citizens.

The coffee giant is launching FoodShare, a program to donate all leftover ready-to-eat meals from its 7,600 U.S. company-operated stores to food banks. In the first year alone, the program will be able to provide nearly 5 million meals, according to company estimates.