Just about every store in the world these days has a website from which consumers can purchase products online. The Vitamin Shoppe is no exception. I literally spend thousands of dollars at the Vitamin Shoppe every year – both online and in-store – for they sell great products that I use regularly. But I came upon something the other day while perusing their website that rubbed me the wrong way.

I think it’s reasonable to expect that a store’s in-store prices will be the same as the products they offer for online purchase. If not, that information is usually made available. So you can imagine my irritation when some of the products I buy regularly in-store at Vitamin Shoppe would have cost me less had I bought them online.

For example, a 16.9 ounce bottle of Carlson’s Liquid Fish Oil. In store: $39.95. Online: $22.89! That’s a 43 percent difference in price!

I’ll give you another: 120 capsules worth of Cholestene (one of the best supplements on the market to help naturally lower cholesterol). In store: $19.95. Online: $13.82. Again, that’s a sizeable difference in price – 31 percent!

And trust me, those aren’t the only two.

When I approached one of the salespeople from The Vitamin Shoppe for some explanation as to the huge disparities in price, all I got back was, “Sorry, but that’s corporate policy.”

Well, like I said to the salesperson, Vitamin Shoppe’s “corporate policy” is a corporate rip off! The least they could do is advertise in newspapers or on the products themselves as to whether or not a product is cheaper online as opposed to in store. I don’t think that’s asking much. Good grief!

I don’t want this to come off as a scathing indictment of the Vitamin Shoppe. As I said, I spend thousands of dollars in one year alone; what they offer is generally very good at pretty reasonable prices. But in today’s economy, where people are literally living paycheck to paycheck yet want to maintain their supplementation and healthy living lifestyle, every little bit counts when it comes to stretching the average dollar.

To avoid spending more than you need to, you can always check online before checking out the store. But consumers shouldn’t have to go to do this. The onus ought to be put on the business itself, and that onus is driven by consumers’ demands. So get in touch with the Vitamin Shoppe and their website and respectfully ask them to make consumers aware of products that are less expensive online as opposed to in-store. They’ll be crazy not to implement some kind of informative policy because, ultimately, it’s a win-win scenario: consumers’ get what they need at a less expensive price, while Vitamin Shoppe turns a profit one way or another. Failure to do will hurt them more than anyone else, as consumers – yours truly included – can always seek out alternatives stores whose policies are more consumer friendly.

Contact Details for Vitamin Shoppe

http://www.vitaminshoppe.com/content/en/support/feedback.jsp

The Vitamin Shoppe
Customer Care Department
2101 91st Street
North Bergen, NJ 07047

Domestic Callers: (866)-293-3367
International Callers: (201)-868-5959

Update: Over the weekend, a representative of my company had a chance to speak with one of the District Managers at Vitamin Shoppe regarding this issue. She informed me that the District Manager was very cooperative and will honor our request for matching the in-stores prices with the online prices, even without bringing in the printout of the online prices. This means I will continue to purchase supplements at the Vitamin Shoppe. I encourage you to check with your store to make sure they do the same for you.

I am aware that a “brick and mortar” store incurs more expenses than an “online” store, which may contribute to higher prices. However, I feel that consumers should be informed of the higher priced in-store items. That’s why I published this alert. A consumer should be aware of all the facts to make an informed decision. In this case, that decision could mean a big difference for some.