.png)
The
Whole Food Center
PRIVATE LABEL SUPPLEMENTS
Many stores and companies have taken to putting their own brand and label on a lot of products. This is being done for a number of reasons, but almost never does it actually benefit the consumer.
In making the whole food center we wanted you to be able to trace a product from the field it was grown in all the way to the facility where it was packaged. You want to know where your food comes from, why not the same for your supplements? With private label it is nearly impossible to do so.
Private label is where one manufacturer makes the exact same product for many different stores or companies who then put their own label on the product. This is very different from custom formulating or making a unique product. Nearly all store brand vitamins are private label.
.png)
.png)
.png)
All of these are the same exact product:
.png)
.png)
.png)
Guess who:
.png)
.png)
Surprise! Surprise?
Private label is the exact opposite of transparency. You have no way of knowing how the products were made or what they contain. You have to rely on the store to tell you- and they could say anything they want. By law, they are required to do third party testing on each batch that they sell, but almost none of them actually do. Private labeling can build brand loyalty, but it doesn't build trust.
If we want to be totally transparent (and we do), we just can not private label products. It would be easy to buy some pre-made products, slap our label on them and tell a nice story, but we're not in the storytelling business. It certainly is more profitable. With any of our products, you can easily go right to the manufacturer and get the information for yourself, you do not have to just accept what we say or jump through hoops to get real information.
If you want to know who makes a stores private label supplements, we have two easy ways for you to find out.
Option A: DIY
In the Google Play or Apple app store, download Google Lens. You can then take a picture of the supplement facts panel on the label, using the app, and Google will search the internet for the same supplement facts panel. You can then see all the other places selling the exact same product, all claiming that it is unique and different than anything else on the market.
Option B: The easy way out
Message us a link to the product and the store and we will show you who the manufacturer is.
There are many reasons a brand may choose to private label.
Branding and Advertising:
Every day you are taking one of their products you see their company name and it reinforces the brand.
Cost:
Usually, but not always, the cost will be lower than the national brand or the profit margin will be higher.
Competition:
If the product is private labeled, you must get it from that store. You can't compare prices or shop around, so it locks you into their store.
None of those benefit YOU. They are all done to benefit the business and promote brand loyalty.
Yes, we are a business. We have bills to pay and mouths to feed like everyone else- but if we can do that with honesty, integrity and products we can stand behind and trace to their inception, why can't these other guys do it too?
The next time a store tries to convince you that their products are unique or better because they have their name on it, think twice.