It's bad news across the sector for vitamin and supplement stores; even names as established as Vitamin Shoppe are feeling the pinch. Sales have been trending downwards, with an 8.5 plunge in 2017 bringing the company's top line down to around $1.2bn. Again, that sounds like a lot to the average person, but the worth of that money to a company depends on how much debt it has, and what its operating costs are.
Vitamin Shoppe is down, but not out. Management at the firm has decided that malls are just less popular than they used to be and trying to coax people back down the conventional routes won't work. Instead, they're looking at expanding the services they offer online to include delivery, diversifying the range of products they offer and getting involved in live events. Whether any of these strategies will pay off remains to be seen, but they still have time to try.
Over the years, weve seen so many food trends come and go, such as ramen burgers, matcha, and spiked ice-cream. Nowadays, were seeing another trend making waves in the food industry. How many times today have you seen an Instagram photo of a scoop of black ice cream, or a cup of black yogurt, or hamburgers with black buns? Indeed, the charcoal trend has taken the world by storm.
So, what gives your latte that deep black shade? Activated charcoal, or coconut ash, is produced by heating coconut shells to insanely high temperatures until theyre burnt to a crisp. The ashes are then increased in size by steaming at high temperatures. Through this process, the ashes become a strong detoxifier, mostly because they become extra absorbent. This product may be purchased in pill form, and promises to alleviate hangovers, minimize the effects of food poisoning, and fight the visible signs of aging.
Activated charcoal is said to boost ones energy as a result of decreasing toxins in the body. However, no evidence proves that detoxifying can lead to increased energy. Also, while it can help cure a hangover, it doesnt necessarily remove alcohol from your blood. It is also said to aid in debloating your stomach because it cleanses your colon but again, this all anecdotal and isnt supported by scientific evidence as of yet. All we can say for sure is that it is a proven detoxifier.