Opinion: Cheryl Thallon
Cheryl Thallon, founder of Viridian Nutrition and owner of Sheaf Street Health Store, serves an impassioned piece on why she channelled 40-plus years of cross-industry experience into a bricks and mortar store, and challenges her fellow indie retailers to turn anger into activism.
When my husband Shaun and I decided to open our own health food store back in 2016 we had two compelling reasons. Firstly, we were dismayed that so many local people were so badly served by the NHS and had no place to turn locally for natural health and, secondly, angry that our industry was undervalued and often undermined by regulators and politicians. We wanted to share our passion for healthy foods and supplements with our hometown, and I wanted to serve on the committee of Health Stores UK (then known as the National Association of Health Stores).
Having been in the natural products industry since 1983, aged 21 (first working in health food stores, then as editor of Natural Food Trader magazine, before moving into the supplements sector and finally as founder of Viridian Nutrition in 1999), I believed I had a rare 360-degree insight into the supplier/retailer/public/press political view of our extraordinary industry with my 40-plus years’ of experience. But it wasn’t until we opened Sheaf Street Health Store in sunny Daventry (#DiscoverDaventry), that I realized the full extent of the highs and lows of day-to-day retailing.
We were shocked when we first opened our shop at how many people were suffering with low mood, depression and anxiety; so many customers – young and old – were taking prescribed medication and/or self-medicating with food, sugar, cigarettes and alcohol. Being able to shine a spotlight on the issues we most cared about – mental health, isolation, sports fitness, animal rights, veganism, fair trade and, of course, the power of food supplements, meant that the store and our team soon became known for our advice and clarity of message in the words we said and the products we chose to stock on our shelves.
At Viridian, the insights we’ve gained from the store – in test-marketing, display, new product ideas and training tools – have been, and continue to be, a major source of inspiration for the company.
“Don’t be shy! Be a local health hero, or a vegan vigilante – your customers will thank you”
On the committee of Health Stores UK I’ve been able to network with other retailers, truly understand the challenges and opportunities experienced by stores large and small, new and old, learning from exceptional retailers and helping others by sharing best practice, tips and knowledge. It’s this collective strength of the retail side of our industry that, I believe, is under-represented.
Who exactly runs our industry? Who drives the sector and sets the agenda for natural health? Is it the suppliers, regulators, politicians, media, public – or health retailers? The health store supply chain includes a growing number of mass-market, pan global conglomerates including Nestlé, Procter & Gamble, Unilever and more; do we want these companies driving the natural products movement? The regulators (The Food Standards Agency and the MHRA - Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency) are there to protect us, but do not have a focus or expertise in natural healthcare. Cabinet politicians are rarely interested in our sector (though available for a photo opportunity when not in office!). The media swings from ‘this cures’ to ‘this causes’ and rarely reports appropriately on evidence-based research. No, in my humble view, the future of natural healthcare is best placed in the hands of independent health retailers as we have our finger on the pulse of what the public cares about, wants and needs – and we are perhaps the only piece of the jigsaw that truly cares about helping people to genuine health and happiness without having to appease grasping shareholders, Big Food/Big Pharma or confused voters.
What are you angry about? Why did you choose to become the owner of a health food store in the first place? What issues do you shine a spotlight on? At Sheaf Street Health Store we’re very active. When we saw how local councils were ignoring local business interests, we founded the Daventry Retail Forum for all independent stores to have input into the development of the town; we created a consumer-facing social media presence for @DiscoverDaventry and have run countless campaigns around the menopause, brain health, mood (Daventry Sunshine campaign), social inclusion and more. Don’t be shy! Be a local health hero, or a vegan vigilante – your customers will thank you. And while your dander is up take a look at HealthStoresUK and see how you can network, influence and help shape the progress of natural healthcare now and for the generations to come. Your community and your industry need you to be angry!
By Cheryl Thallon, founder, Viridian Nutrition