Selling Vitamins and Supplements Online

The vitamins and supplements industry is huge in the United States and globally, so it comes as no real surprise that more and more entrepreneurs are trying to capitalize on that industry with their own ecommerce-based businesses. However, before you commit to selling these items, it’s important to do some research and thinking. Here are five important considerations that you’ll want to make early to protect yourself. 

#1 – Know the Law

The United States Food and Drug administration may not regulate every single vitamin, mineral, and supplement, but the Federal Trade Commission absolutely regulates the way you can advertise them as well as the verbiage you can legally use on the packaging. Before you decide to sell a brand-new vitamin C supplement designed to help cure the common cold, make sure you know that you cannot make such a claim without facing severe consequences. Consider the ingredients in your vitamins and supplements and be sure to research each one thoroughly. 

#2 – Understand What People Want

Another important consideration is the benefit of the vitamin or the supplement you are selling. Although you cannot make claims that a product will cure or even treat any kind of illness or injury, there are times when you can say that the product may help with digestive health or may support a healthy heart. Find out what your audience really wants in vitamins and supplements, then do your best to deliver a product that contains ingredients designed to help facilitate it. 

#3 – Think about Your Warehousing and Climate

Many different vitamins and supplements have relatively strict storage requirements. For example, the average multivitamin will lose its potency if it is too hot or too cold, so you will need to store these (and products like them) in a climate-controlled warehouse. This can be difficult for some people – especially those warehousing in their homes’ attics or basements. In many cases, the best option is to outsource your warehousing and inventory management just for safety’s sake. 

#4 – Know How You Will Bottle and Ship Your Product

Though many vitamins and supplements are fairly durable and will not break apart under normal use, it’s important to think about what might happen when thousands of bottles are stacked on a truck one on top of the other  or when they are taken over railroad tracks on their trip across the country to the buyer. Before you start shipping your product, make sure you’ve done everything you can to keep it pristine during storage, transport, and delivery. For example, for tablet or pill form supplements, cotton inside the bottle is a great choice. 

#5 – Would You Use It?

Last, but most certainly not least, think about the product you are about to sell and ask yourself whether it’s something you would use yourself. If not, it may be worth your time to consider why – and to choose a different product, even if it’s a different vitamin or supplement. For example, if you’re selling a product designed to support healthy weight loss but you wouldn’t take it because you aren’t overweight, ask yourself what would happen if you were. Would you feel confident in taking your product knowing how it’s made, stored, and handled? If so, then the public will agree with you. 

Vitamins and supplements are fantastic for many common problems people face, from digestive issues that can cause a great deal of discomfort to the natural process of aging. If you want to get your break in this industry, be certain that you consider the five things above before you sell your first bottle and you’re sure to build a successful business that you can be proud of.