Vitamin Retailer : Off the Cuff —What a Difference [April 09]

Off the Cuff —What a Difference © VR

Walking into the Natural Products Expo West show this year, I was admittedly leery of what I would find. Of course I knew there would be lots of companies showing off the latest additions to their product lines. Sure there would be interesting speakers with lots to offer about advancements in the industry. But what would the mood be? More importantly, what would the retail attendance be, because that is integrally linked to the atmosphere on the show floor. Don’t believe me? Well, just a few short months ago I attended the Natural Products Expo East in Boston, and the mood was quite somber. While the potential recession had been looming in everyone’s minds, we were on the cusp of the new presidential election and hope was definitely there, although a bit muddled. Retail attendance wasn’t what was expected and it reflected in exhibitors’ dispositions. And who could blame them? Exhibiting at these shows is no cheap affair, and they’re going with the hope of making strong retail connections. As for the retailers that attended the Boston show, they were focused—they came with a purpose and knew exactly what they were looking for, and weren’t leisurely browsing the way they typically might. This meant they weren’t stopping at as many booths, which left exhibitors twiddling their thumbs rather than shaking hands with new customers. But it’s a new year and this was an entirely different show. From the moment the exhibit halls opened, aisles were teeming with determined retailers. While you can look forward to a more detailed wrap-up of the show in next month’s Vitamin Retailer, I did want to reflect on some of the messages that created such a positive feeling on the floor. Realistic Optimism There was a great deal of excitement and hopefulness at this year’s Expo West, and it was infectious. I sat in on a number of seminars, including featured speaker Joan Borysenko, PhD, whose talk entitled “The Courage to Change” offered inspirational and practical means to bring the best potential forward for oneself and one’s business in tune with what the world needs and what the marketplace can provide. She discussed the three stages of the Anatomy of Change, and how we as a society have already experienced Stage One: a crisis that destroys the world as we know it. That could be traced back as far as September 11, or as recently as the plummeting stock and housing markets. We are currently surviving Stage Two: the middle journey, which is where we learn from our ordeals who our allies, enemies and mentors are. And with 8.2 percent of the population unemployed, it’s safe to say that the old ways are gone and we’re on the verge of a new way of thinking. Then she offered Stage Three: the return, where we create an optimized world. It requires thinking much further ahead than tomorrow or next year, and trying to visualize what will be needed to make that a reality. “Dominant images of the future become a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said Borysenko. “Anything to help people manage stress and feel better in these uncertain times is a good thing.” And that’s something this industry has in spades. Attendees—a great deal of them retailers—were receptive to Borysenko’s positive but realistic messages. Couple that enthusiasm with a standing room-only talk from Dr. Andrew Weil entitled “The Role of Food and Supplements in Healthcare of the Future,” and these retailers were ready to conquer the world (I’m not being stingy, but I just want to tease you a bit about what’s to come next month). They took that eagerness back to the show floor where they sought to find the products that were going to help their customers cope with the difficult hurdles ahead. What a Sight As a member of the press, manufacturers are usually eager to talk with me on the floor, but this year it was difficult to steal a moment due to the intense retailer interest. No worries, I found my moments, but I as much as anyone appreciates that retailers come first when they’re at a booth. I simply took a step back and enjoyed the sight of it all. For me, being a part of such a positive show was extremely gratifying, and my hat goes off to the show organizer for its efforts. I hope this tone follows us through the rest of the trade show year—including the Healthy Harvest Show this October in Long Beach—and it begins the much-needed upswing this industry has been pushing for. Kate Quackenbush Editor-in-Chief

Off the Cuff —What a Difference © VR

Walking into the Natural Products Expo West show this year, I was admittedly leery of what I would find. Of course I knew there would be lots of companies showing off the latest additions to their product lines. Sure there would be interesting speakers with lots to offer about advancements in the industry. But what would the mood be? More importantly, what would the retail attendance be, because that is integrally linked to the atmosphere on the show floor.

Don’t believe me? Well, just a few short months ago I attended the Natural Products Expo East in Boston, and the mood was quite somber. While the potential recession had been looming in everyone’s minds, we were on the cusp of the new presidential election and hope was definitely there, although a bit muddled. Retail attendance wasn’t what was expected and it reflected in exhibitors’ dispositions. And who could blame them? Exhibiting at these shows is no cheap affair, and they’re going with the hope of making strong retail connections. As for the retailers that attended the Boston show, they were focused—they came with a purpose and knew exactly what they were looking for, and weren’t leisurely browsing the way they typically might. This meant they weren’t stopping at as many booths, which left exhibitors twiddling their thumbs rather than shaking hands with new customers.

But it’s a new year and this was an entirely different show. From the moment the exhibit halls opened, aisles were teeming with determined retailers.

While you can look forward to a more detailed wrap-up of the show in next month’s Vitamin Retailer, I did want to reflect on some of the messages that created such a positive feeling on the floor.

Realistic Optimism
There was a great deal of excitement and hopefulness at this year’s Expo West, and it was infectious. I sat in on a number of seminars, including featured speaker Joan Borysenko, PhD, whose talk entitled “The Courage to Change” offered inspirational and practical means to bring the best potential forward for oneself and one’s business in tune with what the world needs and what the marketplace can provide.

She discussed the three stages of the Anatomy of Change, and how we as a society have already experienced Stage One: a crisis that destroys the world as we know it. That could be traced back as far as September 11, or as recently as the plummeting stock and housing markets. We are currently surviving Stage Two: the middle journey, which is where we learn from our ordeals who our allies, enemies and mentors are. And with 8.2 percent of the population unemployed, it’s safe to say that the old ways are gone and we’re on the verge of a new way of thinking. Then she offered Stage Three: the return, where we create an optimized world. It requires thinking much further ahead than tomorrow or next year, and trying to visualize what will be needed to make that a reality.

“Dominant images of the future become a self-fulfilling prophecy,” said Borysenko. “Anything to help people manage stress and feel better in these uncertain times is a good thing.” And that’s something this industry has in spades.

Attendees—a great deal of them retailers—were receptive to Borysenko’s positive but realistic messages. Couple that enthusiasm with a standing room-only talk from Dr. Andrew Weil entitled “The Role of Food and Supplements in Healthcare of the Future,” and these retailers were ready to conquer the world (I’m not being stingy, but I just want to tease you a bit about what’s to come next month). They took that eagerness back to the show floor where they sought to find the products that were going to help their customers cope with the difficult hurdles ahead.

What a Sight
As a member of the press, manufacturers are usually eager to talk with me on the floor, but this year it was difficult to steal a moment due to the intense retailer interest. No worries, I found my moments, but I as much as anyone appreciates that retailers come first when they’re at a booth. I simply took a step back and enjoyed the sight of it all.

For me, being a part of such a positive show was extremely gratifying, and my hat goes off to the show organizer for its efforts. I hope this tone follows us through the rest of the trade show year—including the Healthy Harvest Show this October in Long Beach—and it begins the much-needed upswing this industry has been pushing for.

Kate Quackenbush
Editor-in-Chief