The Vitamin Shoppe franchise
2022 filing · April 25, 2022Shares sales figures
The Vitamin Shoppe at a glance
A retail store selling vitamins, supplements, sports nutrition and other health and wellness products. At the end of 2021 there were 681 The Vitamin Shoppe locations in the US, all company-owned.
The business
- Franchisor
- Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC
- The company that sells the franchises
- Franchising since
- 2021
- Franchisor based in
- Secaucus, New Jersey
- Typical size
- 3,000–3,500 sq ft
What you pay
- Cost to open
- $493K–$945K
- A new store
- Franchise fee
- $39,900
- Paid once, when you sign
- Royalty
- 5%
- 5% of the store's net revenue, paid monthly
- Brand fund
- Yes
- 2% of net revenue or $1,000, whichever is more, if a fund is set up; up to 3%, capped at $40,000 a year
- Agreement length
- 10 years
- Territory
- Limited
- Limited protection
- Franchisor financing
- Introductions to lenders
Where it is
- US locations, 2021
- 681
- Franchised and company-owned
- Franchised
- 0
- Company-owned
- 681
- Change in 3 years
- 0
- Franchised locations, 2019–2021
Support and records
- Lawsuits disclosed
- Yes
- Guarantor revenue, 2021
- $3.26B
- The company, not one location
- Guarantor net income
- $363.8M
- Latest filing
- Apr 25, 2022
- 2022 filing
From Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing; revenue and net income from the guarantor’s audited financial statements, page 77; SBA status from the SBA Franchise Directory, October 28, 2026.
Guarantor figures are for Franchise Group, Inc, the parent company that guarantees the franchisor’s obligations to owners. They cover everything that company and its subsidiaries earn, not what a location makes.
Where it ranks
The Vitamin Shoppe among all franchises with the same figure.
| Figure | The Vitamin Shoppe | Among all franchises |
|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, midpointHalfway between the low and high estimate | $718,900 | Costs more than 76% of franchises |
| Franchise feePaid once, when you sign | $39,900 | Lower than 57% of franchises |
| RoyaltyShare of sales paid to the franchisor | 5% | Lower than 69% of brands with a set rate |
| US locationsFranchised and company-owned | 681 | More than 96% of franchises |
How much a The Vitamin Shoppe franchise costs
Opening a new store costs an estimated $492,900 to $944,900. That covers the franchise fee and everything else needed to open, through the first months of working capital.
The biggest costs are opening inventory and supplies ($164,000 to $213,000) and furniture, fixtures and equipment ($173,000 to $183,000). Here is every line of the estimate as filed:
| What it pays for | Range | Low | High |
|---|---|---|---|
| Initial Franchise Fee | $39,900 | ||
| Leasehold Improvements | $0 | $171,000 | |
| Furniture, Fixtures and Equipment | $173,000 | $183,000 | |
| Interior and Exterior Signage | $40,000 | $57,000 | |
| Rent (3 Months) | $13,000 | $91,000 | |
| Security Deposit | $0 | $26,000 | |
| Opening Inventory and Supplies | $164,000 | $213,000 | |
| Grand Opening Advertising | $10,000 | ||
| Training Expenses | $2,000 | $5,000 | |
| Miscellaneous Opening Costs | $0 | $10,000 | |
| Additional Funds – 3 Months | $51,000 | $139,000 | |
| Total | $492,900 | $944,900 | |
Source: Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 21
The Vitamin Shoppe franchise fee
The franchise fee is $39,900. You pay it when you sign the franchise agreement.
Source: Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 15
Royalty and ongoing fees
| Royalty | 5% of the store's net revenue, paid monthly. |
|---|---|
| Brand or marketing fund | 2% of net revenue or $1,000, whichever is more, if a fund is set up; up to 3%, capped at $40,000 a year. |
| Technology Fee | $850 per month, but could increase if our costs increase |
The typical franchise royalty is 6% of sales, plus 2% for marketing. See franchise fees and royalties to compare.
Source: Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, pages 16 and 17
Other fees as filed, from page 17. The filing lists every fee, including late fees and audit costs.
Sales and earnings
Shares figures The Vitamin Shoppe publishes sales or earnings figures for its locations. The full tables, with notes on which locations are counted, are in its filing.
Source: Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 54
How The Vitamin Shoppe compares
Of the 199 health and wellness franchises on this site, The Vitamin Shoppe is the 160th cheapest to open and the 5th largest by number of locations.
| Figure | The Vitamin Shoppe | Typical health and wellness brand | Typical franchise |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cost to open, low end | $493K | $224K | $222K |
| Cost to open, high end | $945K | $498K | $477K |
| Franchise fee | $40K | $45K | $40K |
| Royalty | 5% | 6% | 6% |
| US locations | 681 | 10 | 21 |
| Shares earnings figures | Yes | 125 of 199 | 2,147 of 3,352 |
Typical is the median across the 199 brands in health and wellness franchises; typical franchise, across every brand here.
Locations opened and closed
| Year | Franchised | Company-owned | Opened | Closed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | 0 (0) | 712 | 0 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 (0) | 688 | 0 | 0 |
| 2021 | 0 (0) | 681 | 0 | 0 |
Closed or left counts terminations, non-renewals, locations bought back by the franchisor and locations that stopped operating.
See which brands grew most in the fastest-growing franchises rankings.
More in the guides: franchise failure rates.
Source: Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, page 62
Who owns The Vitamin Shoppe?
The Vitamin Shoppe franchises are sold by Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC.
From Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing.
Lawsuits and bankruptcy
| Lawsuits and regulatory actions | Yes. The filing describes past or pending cases involving the franchisor, its affiliates or its executives on page 15. |
|---|---|
| Bankruptcy | No bankruptcy of the franchisor. One of its executives previously worked at Pier 1 Imports, which filed for Chapter 11 in 2020. |
Franchisors must disclose lawsuits and bankruptcies involving the company, its parents and affiliates, and its executives. Many cases are routine disputes with franchisees over fees or contracts; read the descriptions in the filing and ask current owners about anything that worries you.
Source: Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC, 2022 filing, litigation on page 15, bankruptcy on page 15
The Vitamin Shoppe filings
The figures on this page come from Vitamin Shoppe Franchising, LLC’s 2022 filing, issued April 25, 2022, on record with the NASAA Electronic Filing Depository.
| Filing | Issued | Registry | On this page |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 filing | April 25, 2022 | NASAA depository | Costs, fees and locations, 2019–2021 |
Each link opens the filing as a PDF. See the newest filings across all brands.
Other health and wellness franchises
All health and wellness franchises
The Vitamin Shoppe is also on these lists: retail franchises.