Care/of heads to Target
The vitamin delivery service said the new line was designed with the latest research in mind and based on customer insights and data from their subscription offering.
“We wanted to make it easier for customers to find the right vitamins not only online, but in stores, too. Target was the ideal retail partner, particularly because of their customer-first reputation and we’re thrilled to be partnering with them to bring Care/of’s honest guidance to the vitamin aisle. With our mix and match system, shoppers can easily build a custom vitamin routine based on their unique health goals,” said Craig Elbert, Care/of CEO and co-founder.
Elbert told us that unlike other brands, Care/of had the unique advantage of learning from the consumers who have taken their quiz, which allowed them to design their Target products based on health goals that are most important to them.
The line up
Shoppers can now expect to see three multivitamins and five new blends in the vitamin aisle. The multis include Multivitamin for Women ($14.99), Multivitamin for Men ($14.99), and Prenatal ($18.99).
Care/of said these weren’t developed based on traditional recommended daily values, but rather by identifying the biggest gaps in their customer’s diets.
“Many of our consumers have gaps in their diet — on an average day, 93% don’t eat enough fruits, 87% don’t eat enough vegetables, and 89% don’t eat enough high-fiber foods. More than 6 million people have taken our quiz over the last 4 years, so we’ve heard what aspects of health are most important and how people want to solve them. We designed our new supplements based on that feedback,” Elbert told NutraIngredients-USA.
Elbert added that about 90% of Care/of customers have an herb in their pack.
The new blends include Sleep, Immunity, Relaxation, Energy, and Focus ($14.99 each).
“The learnings from our DTC business really drove the creation of our products at Target. Energy is consistently selected as the top health goal amongst our consumers, closely followed by stress. Knowing this informed our decision to develop the Energy and Relaxation blends,” said Elbert. “Our immunity blend includes highly studied ingredients like vitamin C, as well as zinc and copper, which work together to be absorbed by the body. It also includes andrographis, a traditionally revered herb long used in Traditional Chinese Medicine and ayurveda to help stimulate the immune system. With our sleep blend, we combine melatonin with the herbs ashwagandha, passionflower and valerian, which have been used for centuries to calm the mind and support sleep.”
M&A
Last fall Bayer acquired a majority stake Care/of. “Together we plan to grow the Care/of business across new channels, new categories and new markets to deliver even more personalized nutrition,” a Bayer spokeswoman said at the time.
When asked about Bayer’s role in the Target line, Elbert told us that the partnership with Target has been in the works for some time now, predating their relationship with Bayer.
Health and wellness continues to be a hotbed for investment, venture capital and M&A activity. Despite the economic fallout of the pandemic, consumers are increasingly spending more money in the category.
Last year, Nestlé Health Science acquired personalized functional medicine platform LivingMatrix and Unilever signed an agreement to acquire SmartyPants Vitamins. Just last month, Nature’s Way acquired personalized nutrition company Baze.
