Q&A: Opportunities in alternatives with Piping Rock's Scott Rudolph

With more than 150 million consumers purchasing one or more dietary supplements, the vitamins, minerals and supplements business has grown to $6.6 billion on 4.4% growth across total U.S. multi-outlets for the 52 weeks ended Nov. 29, 2015, according to IRI. And still, the supplement business is a dynamic category with a number of untapped growth opportunities. DSN sat down with Scott Rudolph, CEO of Piping Rock Health Products — makers of the Nature’s Truth brand — for his perspective on where the industry is headed and how to sniff out at least one opportunity that may generate returns this year.



DSN: Vitamins, minerals and supplemenets represent a sizeable portion of overall OTC sales, and the category tends to skew toward a consumer who is interested in

better health. Why is that consumer important to retailers?



Scott Rudolph: It’s no secret that health care today is so expensive. Between insurance costs, co-pays and medical bills, consumers are looking to stay healthy any way they can, and that means being proactive instead of reactive when it comes to general health. The health-conscious consumer tends to have high basket rings and shops the entire store, making it important for retailers to capture their fair share of the purchase intent.



DSN: Overall, what is the opportunity for VMS in 2016? And how can Nature’s Truth and its retail partners best position themselves to capitalize on that opportunity?



Rudolph: There is huge opportunity for retailers to continue to explore alternative forms and segments to bring incremental growth to the category. Given the opportunities we see in the marketplace with leveraging our company insights, … we can bring the hottest trending items that sell to market very quickly in our Nature’s Truth brand.

DSN: Nature’s Truth recently introduced a complete aromatherapy line to the mass market. What is the difference between the customer buying aromatherapy in specialty health food stores and the customer buying at mass? Why is now a good time for food, drug and mass retailers to seize this opportunity?



Rudolph: Aromatherapy is one of the fastest-growing trends in wellness today, and consumers are looking for essential oils to support their specific aromatherapy needs and desires.



We have recently launched our new aromatherapy site NaturesTruthAroma.com with the intention of giving consumers a guide to the different essential oils available, as well as share DIY ideas and blend recipes to engage their interest in the practice. We are extremely active on social media, talking with and educating our customers on aromatherapy in the hopes we can instill Nature’s Truth as a household name.



Compared to our main competitors in the general market, our aromatherapy line is much more extensive and available at a greater value. When compared with health food brands, convenience and price is a huge factor in our competitive advantage.



There are extremely strong upward trends in the essential oil marketplace — we are seeing over triple digits. This growth continues as aromatherapy has now become mainstream, and consumer awareness is growing. This segment is strongly influenced by family and friends, with word-of-mouth as a driving force.



DSN: What does the Nature’s Truth brand mean to retailers?



Rudolph: The Nature’s Truth mission is to deliver the highest quality, innovative products with the best value to our customers.



In 2014, we introduced the Nature’s Truth brand into the marketplace with the intention of becoming a nationally recognized brand. Having our finger on the pulse of what today’s evolving consumer is looking for — thanks to the custom-built infrastructure of our consumer data portal — has enabled us to launch innovative and proven new products to market first.



In just under a year, we have secured distribution in over 60 accounts with the support of our retail partners across the United States.