Vitacost
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| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Headquarters | Boca Raton, Florida |
Key people | Brian Helman Chief Financial Officer Chris Cavalline Chief Merchandising Officer Jay Topper Chief Technology Officer |
| Products | Nutritional supplements, health food, natural and organic products |
| Website | www.Vitacost.com |
Vitacost.com, Inc is an American e-commerce company based in Boca Raton, Florida, that sells vitamins, supplements, sports nutrition and organic health and grocery products.[1] The company was bought by Kroger., in 2014.[2] Vitacost was inducted into Inc Magazine's "Inc. 500 Lifetime Hall of Fame," in 2006 as one of the US's 500 fastest-growing privately held businesses for five consecutive years (2001–2005).[3]
History
Vitacost began operations in 1994 as a catalog retailer of third-party vitamins and supplements under the name Nature's Wealth Company.[4] In 1999, the company launched Vitacost.com and introduced proprietary vitamins and supplements, which has since expanded to include food, beauty products and sports nutrition.[1]
In 2008, the company completed construction of its manufacturing facility located in Lexington, North Carolina. [5] However, effective September 1, 2012, Vitacost agreed to lease its manufacturing facilities to a third party provider.
Vitacost went public on September 23, 2009.[6][7] During 2010, the company expanded and upgraded its West Coast distribution facility located in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Company began a similar project for its east coast distribution center, located in Lexington, North Carolina in the spring of 2010, with the building construction completed in the first quarter of 2011.[citation needed]
In October 2012 Vitacost.com launched a new cruelty-free specialty showcasing beauty and personal care products that are independently certified by the Leaping Bunny Program, which is operated by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics.[8]
In 2013, Vitacost kicked off several new product lines, including a new sports nutrition line, "ARO: Black Series,"[9] which includes pre- and post-workout formulas, protein powders, flavored glutamine, creatine and branched-chain amino acids.
In July 2014, The Kroger Co. announced that it would purchase Vitacost.com for $280 million.[2] The acquisition was completed in August 2014.[10]
Protein
In addition to organic beef products, Vitacost offers grass-fed beef products. Most grass-fed cattle are leaner than feedlot beef, lacking marbling, which lowers the fat content and caloric level of the meat. Meat from grass-fed cattle also has higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) and the omega-3 fatty acids ALA, EPA, and DHA.[11] Meat and dairy products from grass-fed animals can produce 300-500% more conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) than those of cattle fed the usual diet of 50% hay and silage, and 50% grain.[12]
References
- ^ a b "Vitacost.com Inc. News - Company Information - The New York Times". Topics.nytimes.com. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
- ^ a b http://online.wsj.com/articles/kroger-plans-to-buy-online-vitamin-seller-vitacost-1404300842
- ^ "Inc. 500 Hall of Fame, Growing Your Business Article | Inc. 5000". Inc.com. 2009-10-28. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
- ^ "Deerfield-based Vitacost to sell shares, hoping to net $57.3 million - Sun Sentinel". Articles.sun-sentinel.com. 2007-06-22. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
- ^ Edgar Online
- ^ You Missed This IPO. , September 28, 2009
- ^ UPDATE 1-Vitacost IPO prices for $12, within range. , September 23, 2009
- ^ Sat, Nov 17, 2012, 1:50 PM EST - U.S. Markets closed. "Cost and Cruelty-Free Manufacturing Practices Matter Most to Beauty Shoppers, Vitacost Survey Finds - Yahoo! Finance". Finance.yahoo.com. Retrieved 2012-11-17.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^ Miriam Valverde (2013-05-07). "Boca Raton online retailer launches new sports nutrition line". Sun Sentinel. Retrieved 2013-08-07.
- ^ http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/blog/morning-edition/2014/08/kroger-completes-purchase-of-vitacost-com.html
- ^ Union of Concerned Scientists. "Greener Pastures: How grass-fed beef and milk contribute to healthy eating" (PDF): 58.
{{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires|journal=(help) - ^ Dhiman, T. R. (2001). "Role of diet on conjugated linoleic acid content of milk and meat". Journal of Animal Science. 79.
- Nutrition Industry Stocks Rebound Significantly in 2009. Nutrition Business Journal