Vitacost

Vitacost is a United States-based e-commerce retailer focused on health, wellness, nutrition, and natural-living products. Based in Boca Raton, Florida, the business began in 1994 as Nature's Wealth Company, a catalog seller of third-party vitamins and dietary supplements founded by Wayne Gorsek. It adopted the Vitacost.com name and launched an online retail operation in 1999, while also introducing proprietary vitamins and supplements. Over time, its assortment expanded beyond supplements to include organic and natural groceries, personal-care and beauty products, sports nutrition, household goods, and other wellness-oriented merchandise. The brand developed during the growth of direct-to-consumer health-product retail and used a broad online assortment, private-label products, promotional pricing, and nationwide fulfillment to compete for supplement and natural-food shoppers. Its business model combined third-party brands with Vitacost-branded products, allowing the company to offer both breadth and lower-priced alternatives. The company also built physical infrastructure to support its online business. It completed a manufacturing facility in Lexington, North Carolina, in 2008, although that facility was later leased to a third-party operator effective September 1, 2012. Distribution operations were expanded and upgraded in Las Vegas and Lexington during 2010 and 2011. Vitacost experienced a significant corporate and financial setback during its period as a public company. It completed an initial public offering on September 23, 2009. In December 2010, trading in its NASDAQ-listed shares was suspended over concerns that the company's financial reporting did not add up. Trading was later reinstated, but the share price had lost most of its value and investors suffered substantial losses. The company's early history was also connected to securities-fraud litigation involving founder Wayne Gorsek and other defendants; a federal court found Gorsek liable for violations of federal securities laws in 2003. Despite these difficulties, Vitacost continued expanding its retail proposition. In 2012 it introduced a cruelty-free specialty store featuring beauty and personal-care products certified through the Leaping Bunny program. In 2013 it added the ARO: Black Series sports-nutrition line, including workout formulas, protein products, glutamine, creatine, and branched-chain amino acids. The company was recognized by ConsumerLab.com in 2017 in consumer-satisfaction categories covering supplement brands and supplement merchants. Kroger announced an agreement to acquire Vitacost.com in July 2014 for $280 million, and the transaction was completed in August 2014. The acquisition placed Vitacost within Kroger's wider retail ecosystem and strengthened Kroger's position in online natural and wellness commerce. Reference material further states that Vitacost was acquired by iHerb on January 8, 2026. Accordingly, Vitacost is treated here as an active brand rather than as an independent public company, although its precise post-acquisition corporate structure and operating arrangements require verification.

Vitacost traces its origins to 1994, when Wayne Gorsek established Nature's Wealth Company as a catalog retailer of third-party vitamins and dietary supplements. The business entered online commerce in 1999 by launching Vitacost.com. At that stage, it also began selling proprietary vitamins and supplements, creating a hybrid model that combined branded merchandise with products carrying the Vitacost name. The company gradually broadened its category range. In addition to vitamins and supplements, the online store came to offer natural and organic groceries, beauty and personal-care products, sports nutrition, and related health-oriented goods. This expansion positioned Vitacost as a general wellness marketplace rather than a narrowly focused supplement seller. Its value proposition centered on assortment, online convenience, private-label products, and competitive pricing. Vitacost invested in manufacturing and fulfillment capacity during the 2000s and early 2010s. A manufacturing facility in Lexington, North Carolina, was completed in 2008. Beginning September 1, 2012, Vitacost leased its manufacturing facilities to a third-party provider. The company also expanded and upgraded its West Coast distribution facility in Las Vegas in 2010 and undertook a comparable project at its East Coast distribution center in Lexington, with building construction completed in the first quarter of 2011. The company became publicly traded on September 23, 2009. Its public-market history was troubled. NASDAQ suspended trading in Vitacost shares on December 7, 2010, because the company's financial figures were considered inconsistent or unreliable. Although the stock was eventually reinstated, it had lost most of its value, leaving investors with severe losses. Separately, founder Wayne Gorsek had been involved in securities-fraud proceedings. On January 28, 2003, a federal court found Gorsek and former broker and stock promoter Lyndell F. Parks liable for violating antifraud provisions of United States securities laws and imposed injunctions and additional sanctions involving the defendants. Vitacost continued product and merchandising development after the financial difficulties. In October 2012, it launched a cruelty-free specialty store for independently certified beauty and personal-care products associated with the Leaping Bunny program, operated by the Coalition for Consumer Information on Cosmetics. In 2013, it introduced the ARO: Black Series sports-nutrition line, with pre- and post-workout formulas, protein powders, flavored glutamine, creatine, and branched-chain amino acids. Kroger announced in July 2014 that it would purchase Vitacost.com for $280 million. The acquisition was completed in August 2014, ending Vitacost's period as an independent public company and bringing the online wellness retailer into Kroger's broader retail portfolio. In 2017, Vitacost received two ConsumerLab.com survey awards covering overall consumer satisfaction with supplement brands and supplement merchants. Reference material also reports a subsequent acquisition by iHerb on January 8, 2026. The available material does not establish the detailed terms, management structure, or changes to the brand after that transaction.

• 2026

  Reported acquisition by iHerb

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  Reference material reports that iHerb acquired Vitacost on January 8, 2026.

• 2017

  ConsumerLab.com recognition

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  Vitacost received two consumer-satisfaction awards in ConsumerLab.com survey categories.

• 2014

  Acquired by Kroger

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  Kroger completed its $280 million acquisition of Vitacost.com in August 2014.

• 2013

  ARO: Black Series introduced

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  Vitacost launched a sports-nutrition product line covering workout formulas, protein, glutamine, creatine, and branched-chain amino acids.

• 2012

  Cruelty-free store launched

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  The company introduced a specialty store for Leaping Bunny-certified beauty and personal-care products.

• 2010

  Distribution network expansion

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  Vitacost upgraded its Las Vegas distribution facility and began work on a major expansion of its Lexington distribution center.

• 2009

  Initial public offering

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  Vitacost completed its initial public offering on September 23, 2009.

• 2008

  Lexington manufacturing facility completed

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  The company completed construction of a manufacturing facility in Lexington, North Carolina.

• 2006

  Inc. 500 Lifetime Hall of Fame recognition

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  Vitacost was inducted into Inc. magazine's Inc. 500 Lifetime Hall of Fame after appearing among the fastest-growing privately held businesses for five consecutive years from 2001 through 2005.

• 1999

  Vitacost.com launches

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  The company entered online retail under the Vitacost.com name and began offering proprietary vitamins and supplements.

• 1994

  Business begins as Nature's Wealth Company

  [1]Vitacosten.wikipedia.org

  Wayne Gorsek founded the catalog retailer that initially sold third-party vitamins and dietary supplements.

An online, value-oriented destination for vitamins, supplements, natural foods, organic groceries, beauty products, and sports nutrition, combining a broad third-party assortment with proprietary products and wellness-focused merchandising.

• Vitamins and dietary supplements · 1999

  Vitacost vitamins and supplements

  Vitacost began with vitamins and dietary supplements and later developed proprietary products in these categories. The assortment is centered on everyday nutritional supplementation and wellness needs, complemented by products from external brands.

• Food and grocery

  Natural and organic groceries

  The retailer expanded from supplements into natural and organic grocery products, broadening its appeal to shoppers seeking health-oriented food and pantry merchandise through an online channel.

• Sports nutrition · 2013

  ARO: Black Series

  Introduced in 2013, the ARO: Black Series included pre- and post-workout formulas, protein powders, flavored glutamine, creatine, and branched-chain amino-acid products.

• Beauty and personal care · 2012

  Cruelty-free beauty and personal-care assortment

  Vitacost launched a specialty store in 2012 featuring beauty and personal-care products independently certified through the Leaping Bunny program.

• 2010

  NASDAQ trading suspension and financial-reporting concerns

  NASDAQ suspended Vitacost's shares after concerns that the company's financial figures did not add up. Trading was later reinstated, but the share price suffered a major decline and investors incurred substantial losses.

  Source

• 2003

  Securities-fraud judgment involving founder Wayne Gorsek

  A federal court found Wayne Gorsek and Lyndell F. Parks liable for violating antifraud provisions of United States securities laws and imposed injunctions and additional sanctions involving the defendants.

  Source

Read more

• 2012Leaping Bunny cruelty-free specialty store

  United States

  Vitacost created a dedicated online merchandising destination for beauty and personal-care products certified through the Leaping Bunny program.

  Outcome. The initiative expanded Vitacost's wellness positioning into ethically marketed personal-care products; the available material does not provide performance metrics.

  Source

• 2026

  Reported iHerb acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Reference material states that Vitacost was acquired by iHerb after its period under Kroger ownership.

  Action taken

  iHerb reportedly acquired Vitacost on January 8, 2026.

  Aftermath

  The available material does not specify the transaction value, ownership structure, management changes, or operating consequences.

  Source

• 2014

  Kroger acquisitionM&A

  Background

  Vitacost had developed a sizable online health and natural-products business but had also experienced difficulties as an independent public company.

  Action taken

  Kroger agreed to purchase Vitacost.com for $280 million in July 2014 and completed the transaction in August.

  Aftermath

  Vitacost became part of Kroger's retail portfolio and ceased operating as an independent publicly listed company.

  Acquisition price. $280 million (2014)

  Source

1. 1Vitacosten.wikipedia.org
2. 2Vitacost official websitevitacost.com