Despite the economic challenge that began in earnest in 2008, there is good news for the natural products industry.  According to the Nutrition Business Journal, early estimates indicate consumer sales of nutrition products grew 9% in 2008 to more than $100 billion.
While, like you, we’re tightening our belts and cutting back on all non-essentials, there does seem to be some bright skies for our industry.  Our customers need our products and stores more than ever to keep them living healthfully and maintaining a positive outlook. I believe that by keeping a tight reign on our inventory and expenses, as well as reinforcing our culture of quality products, customer service, and education our businesses will continue to be strong.

To Be or Not To Be
From the local level, all the way up to Capital Hill, legislatures appear to be poised to try to inflict unnecessary regulation upon our industry again.  There’s even talk from the newly minted Chairman of the Energy and Commerce Committee, Senator Henry Waxman, of questioning the validity of DSHEA.  Waxman has never been a friend of our industry, so we’ll need to watch the actions of his Committee closely in the coming months. 
On the state level, New York legislators are, once again, trying to push through last year’s labeling bill, which would require all dietary supplements sold in the state to display on the label of every product whether or not it has been approved by the FDA.  Since the FDA dos not regulate dietary supplements, it makes no sense.  But if the legislation passes, it would create added costs for both manufacturers, and retailers, yet provide absolutely no additional safety to consumers.

Join the Fight!
The NPA East Advocacy Committee will continue to monitor every legislature in our region, but it’s a herculean job for a small group comprised mostly of volunteers, who, just like us, have businesses to run.  So please help us keep your doors open by supporting NPA East with your dues and a small amount of your time.  Together, we can keep our industry growing and free of unnecessary regulations.  To join the fight or for more information about our advocacy efforts, please contact NPA East’s Executive Director, Paul Kushner, at 856-985-5446. E-mail Pkushner@comcast.net

Ryan Mount is the Store Manager at Health Haven in Hainesport, NJ.  We’ve teamed up on our visits to Capitol Hill during Lobby Days in Washington, D.C.  I have always been impressed by both his presence and knowledge of our industry, especially considering his relative youth. To me, Ryan seems to be an excellent model for the next generation of natural foods retailers, and I recently asked him how he found his way into our industry.

Q:  In many cases, young professionals get involved in natural foods through their family business or personal health issues.  How did you first get interested?
A:  My interest in the natural foods world has come in several steps.  When I first entered the business I was mainly into the food since I had recently lost 85lbs and planned on keeping it off with diet and exercise. 

My initial interest into dietary supplements came from my lifelong battle with asthma and allergies.  Each day when I entered work, I saw my fellow employees and our customers looking and feeling a type of healthy that I never had while taking prescriptions.  I experienced going into the doctor’s office where I was “managed,” and into a world where I learned about the body’s healing capacity and process. I was able to do things that were never expected from an asthmatic like taking a run or playing sports (like my current favorite: Roller Derby) without an inhaler. 

Q:  How long have you been involved the business at the retail level?
A:  I am getting ready to celebrate my six year anniversary with Health Haven of Hainesport.  It is where I started and has become my home.

Q: What’s your background and education? 
A:  I earned my Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from Rowan University (Glassboro, NJ) in 2008 and am currently planning my Graduate work in Nutritional Counseling. 

Not to discredit formal education, but most of my applicable education to the health food industry came from outside the traditional classroom.  A large part of my nutritional education came from my boss and dear friend Donna Wood at Health Haven, along with the many other great people whom I have had the pleasure to work alongside. I also have to include my customers who educate me everyday. Their experiences, feedback, and encouragement that allowed me to grow into the young professional help I am today.  Another part of my nutritional education has come from attending seminars, reading materials like books and trade magazines, and training from natural product companies.  My activism stems from over ten years of being involved in the political community.

Q:  What is your current role at Health Haven?
A:  My official title is Store Manager.  My job description at Health Haven is hard to sum up.  I spend time in the office, I spend time putting away orders, and I work in the kitchen; there is nothing that I do not lend my hands to when I am working.  My main responsibility though is to my customers.  Our goal at Health Haven is to educate our customers and that is the largest part of my day and it is certainly my most enjoyable.

However, to be honest, I did ask Donna this question about me and this was her response.  “Ryan’s job as a store manager is a multi-level job.  I think that his job is difficult.  He is the liaison between me and our employees, our customers, and our vendors, and he does it all extremely well.  He is the glue that holds it all together.”

Q: How do you compete with the Mass Marketers, which these day can be everyone from Whole Foods to Wegman’s to Wal-Mart?  What’s your recipe for success?

A:  Without giving away all our secrets (just kidding), there are two major things that really contribute to our success.  Our first one is that we try to carry products that are better quality and hard to find items. The other thing that everyone from Wegmans to Wal-Mart cannot offer is our personal one on one customer service.  That service starts with education.  If our customers have a question, we will answer it, if we do not know the answer we will find out.  If our customers want something we do not carry, we will order it and if we cannot get it, we will try our best to find a similar item to meet their needs.  To quote our customers, “You simply cannot get a more personal and welcoming feeling as you enter the store.  You also leave more satisfied and educated knowing you made the best decision for your optimal health from the moment you walked in.”

Q:  You told me that you’re moving to a new, larger location.   This is a courageous move in the current economy.   Why now?

A:  This was the easiest decision made at Health Haven.  When people ask if we (the staff of Health Haven) will miss our current location of 28 years, our answer is simply, “No.”  We needed a larger space not only to bring in new products but also to accommodate and better serve our customers.  Our move is just as much about our customers as it is for us.  It allows us to grow to meet everyone’s’ needs and beyond. 

Q:   How much larger is your new store going to be?
A:  Our new location is roughly three times the square footage and over four times the parking (a big problem for our current customers), but there is no way to describe the amount of effective workspace we are gaining.  Also, our dream is to develop a Holistic Wellness Center which would include things such as: yoga, meditation, reiki, chiropractic services, and perhaps a massage therapy center. 

Q:  How many employees do you currently have and will there be a significant increase at the new location?

A:  Including myself and Donna (the owner) we have a staff of about four wonderful employees. 

When the doors first open at our new home/location, we will not be adding any new staff.  We have high hopes and expectations, but we do not want to get too far ahead of ourselves.  Our goal is to add more staff as time goes on and as we grow.

Q: How will this change, if at all, your current business model?
A:  Donna has made Health Haven a success for over 28 years.  We plan to continue doing the same thing she always has and make it another 28 years (at least.) 

Q:  I know from working with you that you are an active supporter of advocacy both at the local and national levels.  Tell me why you think this is so important for the future of our industry.
A:  I believe that if someone is passionate about anything, they should be involved and speak out about/on it.

When it comes to natural products, there are those groups out there who try to hinder our business practices on the national level.  We both are in the business of helping and healing people, we simply have different ideas on how achieve that goal.  We do not tell them how to do their jobs and we demand the same level respect.  It is our right to give people real and different options to their health.  Our job as advocates is to make sure that options are always available to anyone and everyone.

Q: What advice would you offer to other young professionals who are considering a career in natural products at the retail level?
A:  Be pro-active.  Educate yourself.  Surround yourself with knowledgeable people.  The harder you work, the more you observe and the more you listen the better off you and your customers will be.  It never hurts to read books, go to seminars, listen to your customers, and ask questions.

Love what you do.  Young people think too much about money, I know I did.  If you find something that you love and you are good at, do not worry about the little things, they will come.  I love my job and leave every day knowing that I helped someone and that is more rewarding than any bank statement.

By Jay Jacobowitz

That Sunday morning in late March when I flew to Washington, D.C., for our 12th annual Natural Products Day, the temperature was 31 degrees in my home state of Vermont. A few hours later, on the subway from Washington Reagan airport to our meeting near the Capitol, temperatures had warmed into the 60s, and I could peel off layers of clothes. I had saved the metro fare card in my wallet from the last time I was in town, and now used the 35 cents credit to help pay the $1.50 fare for the 10-minute ride.

D.C. isn’t crowded on a Sunday, and my short walk from the metro station to the hotel was peaceful and sunny. In the hotel, Natural Products Association friends from all regions of the country were gathering in the lobby, most having arrived that morning from points west and south. While we waited for our rooms, we chatted, sipped Starbucks coffee, and relaxed.

Today and tomorrow would be NPA regional and national board meetings, ending Monday evening with a sunset reception on board a sailing ship in the Potomac River in support of our political action committee. Then Tuesday, we’d rise bright and early for our meetings on Capitol Hill with our senators, congressmen, and their staffs.

And the congressional staffers are bright. Young and bright! And this year, more than any other year, they were open to our message. What was our message? We told our representatives ours is an industry dedicated to being part of the health care solution. We explained that if people at risk take just six safe, affordable nutrients*, government can save over $20 billion on health care costs in five years. Staffers’ ears perked up noticeably at this. These are the folks who will be responsible for fashioning tomorrow’s legislation to address our economic challenges, including health care reform.

Not only were staffers interested in what we had to say, but in many cases were already well informed on the issues. The school nutrition bill—which would improve minimum nutrition standards—was just introduced in this session as SB 934 by our Congressional Champion Senator Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), and staff from my Vermont Senators Leahy and Sanders offices, as well as Congressman Welch’s office, said that the member would not only support, but would consider co-sponsoring the bill.
When it comes to supporting our industry, Senator Charles Grassley (R-Iowa), couldn’t be more different than his senate seat mate from Iowa, Harkin, and Grassley has reintroduced his bill (S. 641) to ban the sale to minors of dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA). Grassley apparently does not understand that DHEA is not an anabolic steroid. Staffers seemed sympathetic to our point of view not to support S. 641, and also receptive to our appeal to preserve the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994 (DSHEA) intact.

More than 200 NPA members who met on Capitol Hill Tuesday in the offices of senators and congresspersons from 38 states reported similarly warm receptions from equally well informed staffers, and by the end of the day, we all were feeling optimistic that our message had not only been heard, but well received.

That evening, we gathered with several hundred staffers to honor our Congressional Champions, in the magnificently beautiful new visitor’s center in the Capitol Building. Each year, this NPA tradition has grown in popularity, as staffers from senate and congressional offices come to get samples of vitamins and supplements and enjoy refreshments. This year, we honored Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ; 6th) and Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah; 3rd), and Senators Tom Coburn, (R-Okla.), Tom Harkin (D-Iowa), Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) and Jon Tester (D-Mont.).

Cherry blossoms in 2010, anyone?