National retailer Vitamin Shoppe putting new emphasis on CBD

One of the nation’s largest chained retailers of health supplements, Vitamin Shoppe, is leaning into its CBD experiment with expanded plans to carry more ingestibles and topicals.

The retailer says that strong demand prompted a move to ratchet up CBD displays in some 572 locations in 39 states, plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico.

The new “CBD HQ” sections come a year after the retailer started selling edible CBD supplements and drops despite repeated warnings from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that such products are illegal.

The retailer did not share exact sales figures but told Hemp Industry Daily that the CBD category has been a strong performer and that the chain now carries more than 20 brands.

Vitamin Shoppe CEO Sharon Leite called the CBD expansion the “next evolution of our commitment to this thriving, innovative wellness category.

“Driven by strong word-of-mouth, personal testimonials and self-directed consumer research, we are seeing robust interest in CBD from our customers,” she said in a statement.

The chain started selling ingestible CBD in April of 2019, with products in 135 stores. The retailer now carries ingestible CBD in 572 locations, and topical CBD in another 150 stores.

Ingestible CBD sales outperform the topical CBD sales, according to Vitamin Shoppe spokeswoman Claudia DeBella. She did not elaborate but said the top performers are:

• Tinctures.
• Drinks.
• Softgels.
• Gummies.

The company also sells CBD treatments for companion animals.

Based in Seacaucus, New Jersey, Vitamin Shoppe is a subsidiary of Franchise Group Inc., which trades on the Nasdaq as FRG.