As a retailer, probiotics can be an overwhelming area to promote, as every product incorporates an array of differing strains, designed for a unique purpose, scattering probiotics across several aisles in the store. “Because the range of probiotic products encompasses pills, refrigerated powders, food and beverages, they are scattered around the store,” said Sunil Kohli, chief operating officer for Health Plus. “Retailers may want to institute a Probiotic Awareness Month, wherein they heavily promote all these products and perhaps bring in a probiotic specialist, a naturopath, to discuss the concept and introduce consumers to all the products so they can select accordingly. Remember, too, that anyone at any age can benefit from consuming probiotics, so this is a great opportunity to address moms in your community.”
A similar educational approach is online lectures, but for the staff. “We offer comprehensive educational resources for retailers so that they can increase their knowledge of natural digestive care and feel comfortable and confident when speaking with customers,” said Brenda Watson, president of ReNew Life Formulas. “Store owners and staff are encouraged to participate in our informative online lectures, as well as our toll-free telephone training support. We also provide a wealth of product-related and condition-specific literature and exclusive magazines and newsletters focusing on digestive wellness and immunity for retailers to give to customers. In addition, we have several Web sites for retailers to recommend to consumers, and we offer books that I wrote.”
Educational resources help equip retail staff to accurately inform and assist consumers looking to purchase a probiotic. “Retailers must understand what constitutes a good probiotic and at the same time have some knowledge of the functioning of the GI tract and immune system,” said Silvano Arnoldo, probiotic consultant at Jarrow Formulas. “There is a lot of science behind clinically documented strains and the value of this must be understood and communicated in a way that consumers can understand. A consumer who is satisfied with a probiotic product will most likely return for repeated purchases and share his/her experience with other people.”
"We have specifically seen that when our shelf-stable probiotics are merchandised together as part of a shelf-unit display calling out the specific benefits and options available to consumers, our retailers have experienced up to a 33-percent lift in sales," added Matt Schueller, senior vice president of marketing for Enzymatic Therapy. One of the most effective ways to spread the “probiotic word” is word-of-mouth. So try them for yourself, reap the benefits and share your story.