Natural & Organic Products Europe will see the launch on 16 April of How to Open and Run a Successful Health Store, the result of a collaboration between Health Stores UK and committee member and Viridian Nutrition MD Cheryl Thallon (pictured below).
The practical guide – ‘a love letter to the valiant army of health food store owners and their staff, and to those who want to join their ranks’ – aims to help new and established indie health stores generate footfall and boost turnover with over 200 pages of ‘powerful take-homes’.
With over 40 years’ experience in the natural products sector, author and retailer Cheryl Thallon sets out the process of opening a store across 13 easy-to-follow chapters which cover the natural health marketplace, the legalities of giving advice, how to make staff training ‘stick’, creating successful window displays, tried-and-tested promotions, step-by-step event planning, how to increase footfall and boost average customer spend, tips around marketing, plus real-life testimonials from successful retailers. It also signposts further resources including HR templates, training providers and trade associations.
this book is a collation of stolen ideas, observations of best practice … and the product of the blood, sweat and tears
“Though I am the overall author of this book, numerous articles and case studies have been contributed by others in the independent health store community,” acknowledges Thallon. “That’s the kind of people that work in health food stores – kind, supportive and knowledgeable – and always willing to help other retailers. So, this book is a collation of stolen ideas, observations of best practice, a recognition of mistakes made (and how best to avoid them), and the product of the blood, sweat and tears of countless health store retailers around the world. I am merely the curator of what I think will be the most useful to you.”
This collaborative publication includes a foreword by Sir Charlie Mayfield and a chapter from performance coach, Jean-Pierre de Villers, as well as case study contributions from Health Stores UK committee members and others.
The author and contributors have all given their time and talents for free, and the proceeds of this book will go to Health Stores UK. Members of Health Stores UK can pick up a free copy at NOPEX London Excel on 16 and 17 April. Electronic copies will be available once the initial print run is exhausted.
