Nordic Naturals expands retail footprint with Walmart partnership

Nordic Naturals Algae Omega. Image provided by Nordic Naturals

Nordic Naturals has partnered with 2,500 Walmart stores to bring the company’s omega-3 supplements to a significantly larger audience.

Joar Ophei, founder and CEO of Nordic Naturals, believes the expansion into participating Walmarts demonstrates its "commitment to providing high-quality nutrients to as many as possible.”

Given Walmart’s extensive retail footprint across the US, the partnership provides Nordic Naturals with a sizable opportunity to connect with a broader consumer demographic.

Nordic Naturals launched into the retail giant on May 1, 2023, coinciding with the kick off of Walmart’s May Wellness Days. The omega-3 products available at Walmart include:

Nordic Naturals Omega-3, which provides a 690 total omega-3s per serving to support immune, brain, and heart health.

Ultimate Omega is Nordic Naturals' most popular formula. It is positioned to support the heart, brain, and overall wellness, and provides daily omega-3 doses of almost 1,300 mg per day.

Made from sustainably-sourced microalgae (Schizochytrium sp.), Algae Omega provides vegans and vegetarians with a way to meet their daily recommended serving of omega-3s and support overall immunity, vision, heart, and brain health.

Meeting recommendations

Omega-3 fatty acids are fats the human body needs but cannot produce. They are an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. Omegas 3s provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. They provide the body with energy, aid in the absorption of other nutrients, and support the health of many body systems.

Given the wide-range importance and benefits of omega-3 fatty acids, US Dietary Guidelines have been established, which recommends 450-500 milligrams per day of omega-3 fatty acids from food or supplements, to meet the average daily requirement.

According to a research study published in BMJ Open, 68% of adults do not consume enough omega-3s in their diet to meet their daily nutritional needs.

Contributing factors to this nutritional deficit, could be that, “The majority of Americans do not know they need omega-3s, they do not have the grocery budget to afford the minimum omega-3 requirements sourced from food alone, and do not have access to quality omega-3s supplements,” Brian Terry, director of U.S. retail sales for Nordic Naturals, told NutraIngredients-USA.

Since 1995, Nordic Naturals has been committed to delivering affordable, high-quality omega-3 supplements to everyone, he said. “This is why our partnership with Walmart is so important to our mission.”

To ensure responsiveness and efficiency for mass retail, Terry explained that Nordic Naturals uses a complex and multifaceted supply chain business model, overseen by Abas Shah, Head of Research, Development and Quality Assurance. “We are extremely thorough in sourcing, planning and forecasting to ensure that the supply chain is dynamic and not disrupted,” he said.

As Nordic Naturals continues to expand its reach through strategic partnerships like this one, Terry said the company’s commitment to quality and sustainability remains at the forefront, ensuring consumers have access to the purest and most effective nutritional supplements.

“We are investing heavily into advertising to shout and celebrate that the number one fish oil brand in the US can now be purchased at Walmart.”