Retail Briefs

Great Earth Vitamins to Double Bay-Area Presence by 2001

Great Earth Vitamins Inc., a Hicksville, NY-based, privately held 138-store vitamin-retail chain, plans to boost its presence in northern California’s Bay Area from 10 stores to as many as 25 by 2001. New stores likely will be located in Santa Clara, Monterey and Santa Cruz counties. The move will pit Great Earth against Pittsburgh, PA-based General Nutrition Companies Inc. (GNCI) in those markets. GNCI says it currently holds 14% of the $6.5 billion total retail market for vitamin supplements, and with sales of about $140 million, Great Earth holds 7%. (San Jose Business Journal)

Real Goods to Open Third Retail Store

Real Goods Trading Corp. (RGTC) has identified seven U.S. markets for retail expansion and will open a 5,000-sq.-ft. Berkeley, CA, store in November. It will serve as the company’s urban demonstration center for its mail-order catalog and renewable-energy products and will feature hands-on displays of solar and wind power. The other six markets will be tapped as resources become available. RGTC’s flagship store in Hopland, CA, is an adobe-covered rice-straw-bale building that is powered by solar and wind energy. There also is a retail outlet in Eugene, OR.

HealthQuest Chain to Open 100 New Stores by Year-end ‘97

Privately held Virginia Beach, VA-based HealthQuest, a 12-store vitamin-oriented chain, says it plans to open 100 new stores, primarily through acquisitions, by year-end 1997, with a target of 1,000 stores by year-end 1998. HealthQuest currently operates stores in VA, NC, FL and AL. The chain recently acquired stores in SC and is licensed in 50 states. Co-founder Robert Zirpoli says vitamin-oriented stores that do at least $350,000 a year in sales are the company’s acquisition targets.