The Vitamin Shoppe open for business — in LA Fitness

The Vitamin Shoppe is expanding into a new distribution channel.

The retailer is partnering with LA Fitness to open Vitamin Shoppe shops inside LA Fitness health clubs. To date, Vitamin Shoppe has opened shops in nine LA Fitness health clubs, with three on the East Coast (Union, N.J.; Huntington Station, N.Y.; and Farmingville, N.Y.) and six in Florida (Boca Raton, Tampa,  Lakewood Ranch, Dunedin, Palm Harbor and Lake Mary.)

The shops, which are about 300 sq. ft. each, are operated and staffed by Vitamin Shoppe. They offer a curated assortment of sports nutrition products, vitamins, minerals and supplements along with on-the-go healthy snacks and beverages, for a total of about 900 skus in all.

“These shops provide the health-conscious members of LA Fitness easy access to their favorite sports nutrition and supplement products, as well as the exceptional expertise and guidance of our health enthusiasts [Vitamin Shoppe store associates],” said Sharon Leite, CEO, Vitamin Shoppe, which operates about 750 stores nationwide. “This initiative represents an innovative new channel of distribution for The Vitamin Shoppe with great potential for growth and we look forward to a productive partnership with LA Fitness."

The Vitamin Shoppe will monitor the new concept through its first fiscal quarter — which concludes at the end of March — to see how it is working and determine whether to open more shops, according to a report by WWD. Vitamin Shoppe is also in the early stages of exploring other avenues of distribution, including potentially a department store partnership, the report said.