4 Questions To Ask Before Choosing A Manufacturer To Produce Your Health Store's New Herbal Supplements
Now that you've decided to sell house-brand herbal supplements in your health store, you have to find a reliable manufacturer to produce the products for you. Here are a few questions that should be asked before deciding which prospective manufacturer to work with long-term:
What are the Capsules Made of?
It's important to find out exactly what the capsules that will be used to create your herbal supplements are made of. If gelatin is used in the capsules, you won't be able to attract customers to your new supplement line who avoid all animal products or those who simply prefer to stay away from gelatin.
Artificial flavors or ingredients will not complement the natural herbal ingredients in your supplements. So make sure that the capsules your manufacturer uses to create your store-brand supplements are created using all natural ingredients and are free of gelatin and flavoring, if possible.
Are the Herbs Organic and GMO-Free?
You should also find out whether the herbs that will be used in your supplements are grown organically and are free of genetically modified organisms (GMO's). Consumers who care enough about their health to take herbal supplements also tend to care about how the products they ingest are grown.
While the jury is still out on the effects of GMOs, it's better to be safe rather than sorry and offer your customers herbs that are grown from organic seeds that haven't been modified in any way. And offering organic herbal supplements will help make your brand stand out from the lesser-quality crowd on your store shelves.
Can Custom Labeling Be Implemented?
You likely want your new herbal supplements to match your store's brand so customers can easily spot them on your store shelves. If you already use custom labels on other house brand products throughout your store, find a manufacturer that is willing to apply those labels on the herbal supplement packaging before sending the supplements to you so you don't have to apply the labels yourself in-house.
If you don't already have custom labels made, make sure that the manufacturer you decide to work with is able and willing to design labels to match your brand, produce the labels for you, and then apply them to your supplement packaging before they're ready to be put on the market.
What's the Turn Around Time for Orders?
To ensure that you always have enough supplements to sell your customers, it's crucial to find out what the turn-around time is when placing an order with a prospective manufacturer before you commit to working with them long term.
If you don't get a turn-around commitment from the manufacturer, you could end up waiting weeks or even months longer than you prefer to get a new product into your store due to production scheduling problems or the inability to estimate production levels as time goes on. Your manufacturer should be able to provide you with an accurate turn-around estimate you can count on every time you place an order for more products.
Use these considerations when choosing which herbal supplement capsule manufacturing company to go with for your herbal supplements.