#149 - Buyer Spotlight: Roberta Townes, GNC

The Startup CPG Podcast

In this episode of the Startup CPG podcast, Daniel Scharff sits down with special guest Roberta Townes, a Senior Category Merchant at GNC, proud partner of the Startup CPG Community. Roberta shares insights into GNC's global impact and the strategic success stories of its diverse brand portfolio. They delve into the complexities of launching new brands and selecting prime store locations, offering individuals a deep dive into GNC's retail strategies tailored to current market trends.

Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or aspiring brand innovator, this episode is a great deep dive into one of the most exciting health and wellness retailers (and one of the top in the world by door count).

Tune in now!

Listen in to learn about:

• Roberta's Career Transition and Role at GNC
• GNC Overview and International Operations
• Brand Partnerships and Exclusivity
• Key Elements of a Successful Pitch to GNC
• Discovery and Selection Process
• Consumer Engagement and Loyalty
• Interventions for Underperforming Brands
• Brand-Merchant Relationship
• Trends and Opportunities at GNC
• Importance of Demos

Episode Links:

GNC’s Website
Roberta Townes’s LinkedIn

Don't forget to leave a five-star review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify if you enjoyed this episode. For potential sponsorship opportunities or to join the Startup CPG community, visit http://www.startupcpg.com.

Show Links:

Transcripts of each episode are available on the Transistor platform that hosts our podcast here (click on the episode and toggle to “Transcript” at the top)

• Join the Startup CPG Slack community (15K+ members and growing!)
• Follow @startupcpg
• Visit host Daniel's Linkedin
• Questions or comments about the episode? Email Daniel at [e-mail]
• Episode music by Super Fantastics