Need HONEST opinions !!!!

Ok - so I'm a little afraid to put this out there but..........
I have been comtemplating opening a small store here in MA that would deal - pretty much - exclusively with items needed by WLS patients - my thoughts - protien powders / drinks, supplements needed after like iron, calcium, vitamins, etc.

It is a very scary undertaking and a lot of financial risk -so what am I  asking you people on the board?

1. Do you think we need a store like this or are you / others you know finding what they need online or in other stores ?
2. Would you shop at a store if it was available and could possibly find all you needed in one store - even though it might be a little more expensive?
3. What would you like to see in this store if you answered YES to the two above questions ?

Would love some honest feedback because if you all say NO then there really is no point - right  - cause you all are the experts.

Would love opinions / ideas on what you might have for ideas, etc if it sounds good.

Thanks in advance for the help.

Lisa

YES!  I've thought this several times already, I wish there was one place that had all things WLS!

Spanx
Protein Powders
Recipes/cook books
Medical supplies for post surgery (guaze, tape, etc)
Nutritional info for foods--a grocery section would be great, not sure how practical that would be though if the food doesn't move fast enough, you could lose money there.
Exercise equipment
Exercise books
Sports bras/workout clothes
Vitamins
Pill sorters
Pill cutters
knee supports (for exercising, you know, the ace bandage things)
Encouraging/Inspirational cards
Gift ideas for our spouses for holidays (like Valentine's Day.. instead of Chocolates!)
Obesity magazines, books, publications, current news regarding Obesity, including childhood and diabetes and heart disease, etc.
music!  mp3's that could be downloadable for working out, meditation, etc.
Meditation books
Information on transfer addiction


I'll come up with more stuff.  I would have loved this if it was available for my husband to go to when I was in the hospital to get the shopping done, and I'd love it to go and look for myself in a safe environment.  I tried looking for weight loss surgery cookbooks at Barnes and Noble to no avail.  Will ultimately order online.  Would have been great to have a store to browse.  I think there is a growing need for this and it's only going to become more needed over the years.

Another thing you could offer is a "featured' restaurant or meal from a restaurant.  Maybe you could have a listing of WLS-friendly restaurants so you can still go out to eat but know the places that are most accomodating to special dietary requirements.  And businesses might hear about this and want to get on your 'Recommended" list and might end up referring business to you if you're referring to them, too!!  

I love your idea!

What a fantastic concept!!  It sure as heck would take some of the guess work out of this journey... and the idea of a one stop shop is definitely worth paying a premium!

Pre/post-op info. is offered by my surgeon, nutritionist and various support groups but it is all so vague. Quite honestly I've gathered more info. from this board than what the "professionals" could ever supply!!!

I had a LapBand in 07(removed in 08), currently pre-op for a revision.  Being a few months away I've been gathering samples and have started documenting some fellow OH'ers do's and dont's. I've gone to GNC and the VitaminShoppe and searched thru endless websites and haven't purchased a darn thing in terms of supplements or supplies simply because it's all so overwhelming!

I'm thinking the store would also benefit non-surgical dieters as well.

~CJ

Just my honest opinion from my own experiences...

I think it sounds like a GREAT idea and would probably been interesting and rewarding for you do do something like that.

HOWEVER,  the internet is FULL of online retailers selling these items.  And, the thing about them is that they can sell, most often, at a lower price as they don't have the overhead that a brick and mortar store has.  Another thing online retailers have that B&M stores do not is convenience.  As we all know, life is busy and people today need and want convenience.  Visiting a B&M store does not provide people with that; ordering from work or home at any time of the day does and that's what many (if not most) people are doing nowadays. Also, another think to think about is that many WLS patients wish to protect their anonymity.  Therefore, they are much more comfortable ordering online than having to step into a B&M store. 

Starting and running a business and making it work is tough.  Even with all this said, you have an idea.  If that idea is something you firmly believe it, you go with your gut and do something about it.  And if you do decide to go for it...I wish you nothing but luck!

We have Nushua Nutition in Nashua NH http://www.nashuanutrition.com/store/index.php , their standard mail, order is just about next day here in MA, i use them all the time, there are other places to order things that meet the needs of the bariatric patient online including Amazon for some things.

Asking if we need such a store on a site like this is going to get you loaded answers, loaded with what you want to hear. Comparitively is there a market for it from people that do not use this site, or, are there enough people that use the MA portion of this site to support your business. Market research and your business plan might answer those questions for you.

As for me, i say sure, open up a nice store but honestly, if its to far away from where i live i probably would not use it unless your cheaper then someplace else i already use and can get it here faster. I wont burn 4 hours of my time and half a tank of gas going to get something that will be here tomorrow for $5 shipping.

Best of luck with whatever you decide.

Thanks for the input all - this is exactly what I'm looking for !! I know it won't be easy  - I currently own 2 small preschools so I'm familiar with the risks of starting something up ! !I'm hoping more peopel will comment so I can get more feedback !

LiSA,
When i lived in Lowell I would make a trip once/month to Nashua Nutrition.  I was always the only customer in there... I assume a HUGE portion of their business is internet related.  I hope they succeed because it is a great shop, but frankly, i would only make the trip once/month. Now that I moved, I haven't been back up there yet.  I will probably order from them when i need supplies, unless i have an excuse to head up that way. 

What I'm saying is, it's hard to have a niche market like that.  I don't know how NN does it.

Would I like a local store to go to?  Sure.  I love to buy local when i can.  But for me, a less needy post-op, it wouldn't be a big deal.  Might be awesome for newbies who need to try different protein sources.  

with all that said, if i can be of any help, let me know.  i love to brainstorm and am working on my MBA.

sue 

Sue, yup those are some of my concerns - although if I were to do it - I would do interenet orders as well - It's a process and I'm trying to think it through thouroughly before jumping in - and If I could get a big enough place - I'm considering a 2nd store - withen the same space - so possibly getting twice the bang for my buck - but again still in the thinking phase!

Congrats on gettting on your MBA. I'm actually starting a class Tuesday night and have been comtemplating my Masters - so many avenues so little time !! lol

I'm not sure I'd shop there because most "speciality" shops like that charge more than going to like GNC or the like. For me going to GNC is a breeze! It's at the mall and Rite Aid carries GNC stuff so that's even closer to my house! When it comes to vitamins I usually get store brand (Target, WalMart, etc) because of the cost. I'd definitely visit your shop on a monthly basis IF it were close AND the products were cheaper than what I'm already paying.

Well Brook one of my goals is to make everything as afordable as possible - but not sure how that will work out .... but everybodies points have me thinking so.......