While The Vitamin Shoppe has not entered the THC beverage category, the retailer remains one to watch as regulations evolve. The company has already carried CBD beverages and has built a reputation around discovering emerging wellness products, making it a potential future channel for cannabinoid beverages that align with its health-focused consumer base.

Nicolletta Payne, Senior Director of Merchandising at Vitamin Shoppe, shared insights on what it takes for beverage brands to earn shelf space, stay competitive, and build long-term retail partnerships during a panel discussion at BevNET Live NYC.

With more than 640 stores, Vitamin Shoppe has positioned itself as a launchpad for emerging brands. Payne said introducing new products is part of what keeps the retailer’s assortment fresh and gives customers a reason to continue shopping its stores.

“We’re known for launching brands,” Payne said, explaining that customers expect to see new products and emerging trends when they visit.

That focus on discovery creates an opportunity for innovative beverage brands, but competition for shelf space has never been higher. Payne noted that when functional beverages first entered the market, consumers often had to compromise on taste and texture to get the benefits they wanted. Today, brands have become much more sophisticated, improving formulations and finding ways to mask challenging ingredients while delivering a better consumer experience.

Vitamin Shoppe’s customer base also makes it an interesting channel for functional beverage brands. Payne described its shoppers as highly engaged health enthusiasts who actively follow trends, ingredients, and wellness innovations. She added that beverages and snacks account for a significant share of the retailer’s business, and that education is a major focus for the organization.

Understand Your Channel

One of Payne’s biggest points was that brands need to understand that success in one retail channel does not automatically translate to another.

“The best brands understand that what works in one channel may not work everywhere else,” Payne said.

That means having a clear retail strategy before approaching buyers, including understanding assortment, pack sizes, pricing, promotions, and how the product fits within that retailer’s specific customer base.

Payne emphasized that her approach to buying comes down to three things: speed, relationships, and instincts.

“The category is fast, so I have to be fast,” she said.

Building relationships with brands is a priority, but those relationships need to be supported by business fundamentals. Buyers want partners who understand their numbers, can communicate effectively, and are prepared to collaborate on growth.

The Pitch Deck Is the First Pitch

For brands trying to get in front of buyers, Payne said the first impression matters.

While some brands prefer to schedule a meeting before sharing information, Payne said she wants to see the pitch deck first as an introduction to the brand.

Brands should clearly communicate who they are, who their customer is, where they are already selling, what is working, and why they are a fit for the retailer.

Data is critical.

Payne said brands need to understand their own performance metrics, including store-level sales, average daily sales, and how the product is performing in existing channels.

“Everything fundamentally comes down to sales,” she said.

For buyers, strong storytelling is important, but it has to be supported by measurable results. A compelling brand story may get attention, but sales velocity determines whether a product earns shelf space.

Getting on Shelf Is Only the Beginning

Payne also addressed a common misconception among emerging brands: getting onto the shelf is not the finish line.

“It’s easier to get on the shelf than it is to stay on it,” she said.

Once a product launches, brands need to understand the retailer’s expectations and have a plan to maintain momentum. That includes supporting promotions, driving awareness, and bringing consumers into the store.

Payne said brands should help create demand through social media, email marketing, community building, and other consumer outreach efforts.

Retailers can provide the shelf space, but brands need to help create the pull.

Functional Beverage Trends: Protein, GLP-1, and Simplification

When asked about emerging opportunities in functional beverages, Payne pointed to several areas gaining momentum, including products connected to weight management, GLP-1 trends, creatine, protein, and multi-functional formulations.

Consumers are increasingly looking for simplicity, she said. Rather than taking multiple products separately, shoppers are interested in products that combine multiple benefits into one convenient format.

Protein continues to drive significant growth, although Payne noted the category is becoming increasingly crowded.

“With more brands entering protein, differentiation is becoming harder,” she said.

“The brands that do really well, they’re not necessarily chasing other trends,” Payne said. “They know who they are, they know who the customer is, and they’re solving a need. Those are the brands that ultimately earn placement.”

The Differentiation Question

In an increasingly crowded beverage market, Payne said brands need a clear understanding of what makes them different. A new product cannot simply enter the market with a similar offering and expect to replace something that is already performing well on the shelf. Retailers need to understand why a consumer would choose one product over another and what unique need the brand is solving.

She emphasized that the brands that succeed are not always the ones chasing the latest trends. Instead, they know who they are, understand their customers, and create products that address specific consumer needs.

For future THC beverage brands looking toward mainstream retail, Vitamin Shoppe represents a potential opportunity as regulations evolve. But retail success will depend on more than having an innovative ingredient. Brands will need strong consumer demand, measurable sales, a clear identity, and a well-developed strategy to earn and maintain shelf space.