Vitacost
Encyclopedia
Vitacost.com ( NASDAQ: VITC ) is a leading online retailer and direct marketer of health and wellness products includinge dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs or other botanicals, amino acids and metabolites, as well as cosmetics
, organic
body and personal care products, sports nutrition
and health foods
. (Vitacost.com, Inc.) sells these products directly to consumers through its website, www.vitacost.com. (Vitacost.com, Inc.) strives to offer its customers the broadest product selection of healthy living products, while providing superior customer service and timely and accurate delivery.
The company began operating under the name Vitacost.com Inc in 2000.In 2006 Vitacost was inducted into Inc Magazine’s “Inc. 500 Lifetime Hall of Fame,” as one of the US’s 500 fastest growing privately-held businesses for five consecutive years (2001–2005).
In 2008, the company completed construction of its manufacturing
facility located in Lexington, North Carolina
. Since inception, Vitacost has shipped over ten million orders to its customers.
Vitacost went public on September 23, 2009.
In 2010, the company was recognized in the top 100 list of Internet Retailer
Also during 2010, the Company expanded and upgraded its west coast distribution facility located in Las Vegas, Nevada
. The Company began a similar project for its east coast distribution center, located in Lexington, North Carolina
in the spring of 2010, with the building construction completed in the first quarter of 2011. The facilities provide redundancy in the event of work interruptions due to power outages, natural disasters or other events.
During 2011, the Company was named in the top 100 by Internet Retailer and also was named in the top 10 in the Spring 2011 Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index published by ForeSee Results – both for the 2nd year in a row. In addition, in June 2011, Vitacost.com announced that it had received an ELITE rating for customer service from STELLAService, an independent, third-party company that rates the customer service performance of online retailers.
Cosmetics
Cosmetics are substances used to enhance the appearance or odor of the human body. Cosmetics include skin-care creams, lotions, powders, perfumes, lipsticks, fingernail and toe nail polish, eye and facial makeup, towelettes, permanent waves, colored contact lenses, hair colors, hair sprays and...
, organic
Organic certification
Organic certification is a certification process for producers of organic food and other organic agricultural products. In general, any business directly involved in food production can be certified, including seed suppliers, farmers, [food] processors, retailers and restaurants.Requirements vary...
body and personal care products, sports nutrition
Sports nutrition
Sports nutrition is the study and practice of nutrition and diet as it relates to athletic performance. It is concerned with the type and quantity of fluid and food taken by an athlete, and deals with nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, supplements and organic substances such as carbohydrates,...
and health foods
Health food
The term health food is generally used to describe foods that are considered to be beneficial to health, beyond a normal healthy diet required for human nutrition. However, the term is not precisely defined by national regulatory agencies such as the U.S...
. (Vitacost.com, Inc.) sells these products directly to consumers through its website, www.vitacost.com. (Vitacost.com, Inc.) strives to offer its customers the broadest product selection of healthy living products, while providing superior customer service and timely and accurate delivery.
History
Vitacost began operations in 1994 as a catalog retailer of third-party vitamins and supplements under the name Nature’s Wealth Company. In 1999, the company launched Vitacost.com and introduced a proprietary vitamins and supplements.The company began operating under the name Vitacost.com Inc in 2000.In 2006 Vitacost was inducted into Inc Magazine’s “Inc. 500 Lifetime Hall of Fame,” as one of the US’s 500 fastest growing privately-held businesses for five consecutive years (2001–2005).
In 2008, the company completed construction of its manufacturing
Manufacturing
Manufacturing is the use of machines, tools and labor to produce goods for use or sale. The term may refer to a range of human activity, from handicraft to high tech, but is most commonly applied to industrial production, in which raw materials are transformed into finished goods on a large scale...
facility located in Lexington, North Carolina
Lexington, North Carolina
Lexington is the county seat of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,953. It is located in central North Carolina, twenty miles south of Winston-Salem. Major highways include I-85, U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 70, U.S. Route 52 ...
. Since inception, Vitacost has shipped over ten million orders to its customers.
Vitacost went public on September 23, 2009.
In 2010, the company was recognized in the top 100 list of Internet Retailer
Also during 2010, the Company expanded and upgraded its west coast distribution facility located in Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas, Nevada
Las Vegas is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and is also the county seat of Clark County, Nevada. Las Vegas is an internationally renowned major resort city for gambling, shopping, and fine dining. The city bills itself as The Entertainment Capital of the World, and is famous...
. The Company began a similar project for its east coast distribution center, located in Lexington, North Carolina
Lexington, North Carolina
Lexington is the county seat of Davidson County, North Carolina, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 19,953. It is located in central North Carolina, twenty miles south of Winston-Salem. Major highways include I-85, U.S. Route 29, U.S. Route 70, U.S. Route 52 ...
in the spring of 2010, with the building construction completed in the first quarter of 2011. The facilities provide redundancy in the event of work interruptions due to power outages, natural disasters or other events.
During 2011, the Company was named in the top 100 by Internet Retailer and also was named in the top 10 in the Spring 2011 Top 100 Online Retail Satisfaction Index published by ForeSee Results – both for the 2nd year in a row. In addition, in June 2011, Vitacost.com announced that it had received an ELITE rating for customer service from STELLAService, an independent, third-party company that rates the customer service performance of online retailers.