GNC and The Honest Company deepen women's health retail partnership

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Photo Credit: The Honest Company (GNC)

Global health and wellness brand GNC is adding more products from The Honest Company, a wellness brand started by celebrity Jessica Alba, targeting women’s health needs around sleep, mood, immunity, and hair health.

The companies first partnered in May 2022 with the launch of six products focused on new and expectant mothers including prenatal and postnatal vitamins sold at roughly 1,400 GNC stores nationwide and online through the retailer’s website. The latest expansion will introduce four new products to its women’s health assortment which features other brands including GNC Women’s, Vital Proteins, Womaness, and Hers.

"Our relationship with The Honest Company has allowed us to continue our commitment to women's health and wellness," Karlyn Mattson, EVP, chief merchandising officer, GNC, said in a statement.

Check out a full interview with Karlyn Mattson on GNC’s merchandizing strategy on the NutraCast.

"With the launch of four new exclusive products, we're aiming to further connect with our female consumers to support them on their journey to live well. The Honest Company has been a great partner and consistently surpasses our expectations with formulas that not only use great ingredients but are also backed by rigorous testing and improve women's everyday health."

The global women’s health and beauty supplements market size was valued at US$55.4 billion in 2021 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.8% between 2022 and 2030 fueled by interest in everything from immunity-boosting botanicals to skin and hair health supplements, according to Grand View Research.

The Honest Company CEO: '... We immediately noticed a significant and positive consumer response'

For The Honest Company, its partnership with GNC represents a piece of its larger omnichannel strategy for the digitally native brand which started with selling baby products online in 2012. Over the past several years, the brand has made a hard push into retail outlets, which now represents 52% of the company’s sales, according to its latest earnings report.

"After our initial partnership announcement earlier this year, we immediately noticed a significant and positive consumer response and as demand continued, it was only natural for our teams to strengthen our partnership," said Nick Vlahos, chief executive officer of The Honest Company.

According to The Honest Company’s Q2 2022 earnings results, the company’s household and wellness category, which represents 4% of the total revenue, grew by 15% for the quarter compared to the same period last year partially driven by its launch into GNC stores and expanded supplements portfolio.

The segment was the fastest-growing within The Honest Company’s overall business and represents a key market opportunity moving forward, commented Vlahos on a recent earnings call.

“We've significantly grown our brand awareness and household penetration over the last two years while our market share continues to increase,” noted Vlahos on the call.

With the latest brand extension, The Honest Company will be introducing four new wellness products including: Nightly Sleep Health (a proprietary blend of active ingredients including theanine and valerian root), Daily Mood Balance (featuring rhodiola and phosphatidylcholine), Daily Immune Support featuring a blend of zinc, vitamin D and organic green propolis (a glue-like substance made by bees from the buds of trees to construct hives), and Postnatal Hair Wellness (a formulation containing keranat oil).

"The launch of these new products, alongside GNC, showcases our strong commitment to valuing and supporting women's wellness needs. We're confident our efforts will ultimately position us both for long-term success and continue to move our retail strategy forward,” added Vlahos.