GNC Franchise

GNC is a franchise for a store focused on vitamins and nutrition. It was founded in 1935 by David Shakarian.

He first opened a store in Pittsburgh that was selling health-food and it was named Lackzoom. The store was specializing in yogurt which was also something that was introduced in the United States with the help of his father. Besides the yogurt, they were also selling other health food products like grains and honey. He earned only $35 on the first day but after five years, he was able to open six locations in Pittsburgh. The demand and interest of people on health food grew and grew. They decided to open locations in other states. It was then that he changed the name to GNC which stand for General Nutrition Centers. Because of its success, they started producing their own supplements such as vitamins and minerals, drinks, food, and even cosmetics. GNC started franchising in 1988. The franchises concentrate on vitamins and nutritional supplements. They now have 911 all over the United States, two in Canada, 1,700 in other countries and 2,676 locations that are company owned.

What products do they offer at a GNC store?

They have a very wide range of products that falls under several categories. For vitamins and supplements, they have those for men’s and women’s health, children’s health, multivitamins, longevity factors, Vitapak programs, fish oil and omegas, joint health, whole food supplements, calcium and minerals, antioxidants, amino acids, specialty supplements, diabetic formulas, vitamins A-Z, and auto delivery. For Sports Nutrition, they have creatine, mass gainers, nitric oxide, protein, pre-workout, during-workout, post-workout, workout stacks, thermogenics, hardcore, sports multivitamins, energy and endurance, coconut water, and CLA. They also have protein in different forms like cars, shots, and ready to drink. For diet, they have appetite control, healthy food and snacks, diet support, and meal replacements. For cleansing and digestion, they have fiber and colon care, enzymes, aloe, whole body cleanse, liver cleanse, probiotics, and tea. For herbs and natural remedies, they have herbs by condition, greens, natural remedies, resveratrol, super fruits and botanicals, and chia. They also have several categories under sexual health, energy and endurance, for pets, beauty care, and equipment and accessories. All of the above are just categories. They have uncountable number of products on each that the customer is sure to find a perfect one for what each of them needs.

Cost and requirements on running a GNC franchise

You need to have a net worth of $150,000 and a total liquid asset of at least $85,000 to $100,000. Expect to be investing about $165,000 to $200,000. The GNC franchise fee is $40,000 with an on-going royalty fee of 6%. This is for a renewable 10 year term agreement. You will need about four to five employees to run one location. They allow multi-unit ownership. They do not allow absentee ownership.

What is included in the franchise package?

There will be one week training at the headquarters, one week at your location, and one week at a corporate store. You will be receiving newsletters and a toll free phone number. You will be given assistance at the grand opening. You will have access to the internet and purchasing cooperatives. Expect to be attending meetings and receiving occasional field evaluations. For marketing support, there will be regional marketing and national media.

GNC Contact Details

You may reach them at:

Address: 300 6th Ave., 4th Fl. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15222

Phone: (800)766-7099 or (412)338-2503

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