GNC Set for Major Rebranding Effort to Ignite Customer Experience

Two months ago, GNC Holdings CEO Robert F. Moran talked about the brand’s performance during the third quarter.

“I want to start by saying our financial results continue to be unacceptable,” Moran said on Oct. 27. “GNC is on a journey and will not be turned around overnight. It starts first with fixing the customer in-store experience, which has been subpar for some time. We must first earn back the trust of our customers, suppliers, and associates. To do that, we were making investments in technology, training, and management, which I will outline. We also realize that once the store experience is fixed, we need to improve our omnichannel strategy.”

Fast forward two months and GNC, the nation’s largest specialty retailer of health, wellness, and sports nutrition products, is set to launch a major rebranding effort to magnify customer experience and customer engagement.

All corporate stores will close on Dec. 28 and reopen on Dec. 29 when GNC will be providing customers a dramatically improved experience with the launch of One New GNC.

The company will offer a single price both in store and on GNC.com, replacing multiple pricing structures across channels and membership levels.  A new loyalty program named My GNC Rewards is designed to give consumers an easy to use incentive to shop GNC.  This program will be supported by the launch of a new GNC mobile app available on or before Dec. 28 in the iTunes app and Google Play stores.

What’s more, new POS terminals, rolling out across the chain, will speed the checkout process, help guide customer decisions based on purchase history, and manage loyalty programs. Associates will be armed with tablets that support their training and empower them to answer customers' questions and recommend products and wellness regimens.

The New GNC will launch in all 4,464 U.S. owned and franchised locations when stores open Dec. 29.
Stores will celebrate the One New GNC throughout the month of January with a 1 Million Point Giveaway contest. Customers who enroll in the free My GNC Rewards program gain an entry into the sweepstakes with each transaction. Stores will be offering sampling and giveaways each Saturday throughout the month. 
Loyalty360 caught up with Jeffrey R. Hennion, executive vice president, chief marketing & e-commerce Officer of GNC, to learn more about the company’s major rebranding.

“We spent two years listening to our customers about their experience and engagement with us,” he explained. “Our customers’ concerns primarily revolved around prices that were too high or complicated, the lack of a true program that rewards customers for their loyalty, and a slowdown in product innovation. The rebranding solves those key issues by lowering prices, simplifying our prices by eliminating a difference between member and non-member prices, and launching our new My GNC Rewards loyalty program.”

Hennion said stores will be more engaging because everything will be simpler.

“Our associates will no longer have to explain member pricing and sell the Gold Card,” Hennion said. “They can focus on solving our customers’ needs and meeting their goals.”

The My GNC Rewards program launches Dec. 29 throughout the country in all stores. It is a points-based program–for every $1 you spend, you get 1 point. At 150 points, you get a $5 reward certificate.

“Throughout 2017, we will be providing other ways for our customers to earn points as well,” Hennion said. “Points expire after 12 months and customers have the option to either bank their points or automatically generate a digital reward certificate whenever they hit the threshold. Customer loyalty is defined for us as frequency of trips to our store, percentage of the amount they spend in total in the supplement space at GNC, and customer satisfaction scores.” 

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