Vitamin Cottage

History

Margaret and Philip Isely founded Vitamin Cottage more than a half-century ago and it has grown into one of the five largest supplement retailers in the country.

Back in the 1950’s, the Isley’s sold vitamins door-to-door. Within a few years the couple was able to purchase a building that looked like a country cottage in Lakewood, Colorado. The store became known as Vitamin Cottage. During the 1960’s, the company struggled to stay profitable and was forced to try a new business strategy. It was then that the Isley’s developed a structured group buying philosophy, which is still in practice today. Purchasing products in bulk at lower prices has allowed Vitamin Cottage to pass on savings to their customers. This philosophy of providing quality products for less has made Vitamin Cottage one of the most popular vitamin supplement companies in the country.

The company is still family-owned and operated. However, what was once considered a mom and pop business has grown into a 28-store chain with more than 950 employees. In addition, the company recently launched an online store, which allows customers around the world to obtain vitamin supplements at affordable prices.

New Name

After more than fifty years as Vitamin Cottage Natural Grocers, the award-winning supplier of vitamins and natural foods recently changed its name to Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage. Company executives say the modified moniker was initiated by an expansion to Texas. The other reason for the name change was to meet the company’s goal of marketing the store as a place where shoppers can purchase groceries in addition to nutritional supplements.

Products and Services

Vitamin Cottage offers more than 25,000 products including natural groceries, vitamins, herbal supplements, and beauty aids. The company also sells a wide variety of:

• Digestive aids

• Health powders

• Probiotics

• Allergy relievers

• Bee products

• Supplement juices and oils

• Eye care products

• Herbal formulas

• Natural laxatives

• Minerals

Education

Education is the cornerstone of the Vitamin Cottage philosophy. The company believes that for customers to achieve optimal health they need to gain as much knowledge as possible. To help shoppers find the right items, the company staffs an on-site nutritionist in each of its stores. The professional nutritionists are on hand to provide free consultations to all customers. In addition, the company sponsors free monthly education seminars on a variety of health and nutrition topics.

Affordable Prices

The company believes everyone should be able to afford quality health products. Therefore, it is paramount their supplements and other nutritional products are offered at reasonable prices. The company claims it can sell its goods at discounted prices because of the incredibly large volume of items it stocks.

What Vitamin Cottage Doesn’t Sell

Every product sold by Vitamin Cottage goes through a strict review process prior to being stocked. Subsequently, there are a few products the company will not carry because they contain certain nutrients or ingredients that company executives or the federal government has deemed questionable or unsafe.

Some of the products include:

• Androstenedione

• Chaparral

• Colloidal silver

• Ephedra

• Germanium

• Glycols

• Human Growth Hormone (HGH)

• Iron oxide

• Phaseolamin

• Potassium iodide

• High dose iodine

• Talc (magnesium silicate)

Locations

More than two-dozen Natural Grocers by Vitamin Cottage are located throughout the Western region of the United States, including:

• Colorado (Denver, Durango, Grand Junction, Glenwood Springs, Evergreen, Colorado Springs, Pueblo, Boulder, Ft. Collins, and Longmont)

• St. George, Utah

• Texas (Amarillo, Austin, and Dallas)

• New Mexico (Albuquerque and Santa Fe)

Each store is roughly 10,000 square feet. Half of the floor space is stocked with natural and organic grocery items while the other half is filled with the company’s trademark vitamins, minerals and other health supplements.

If you don’t live near a store you can shop online and have your products shipped directly to your home.