I Truly Hate the Supplement Industry

[Madmick]

Also, as far as fish oil goes, the prescription fish oil is super expensive but the Kirkland brand you would have to take 12 a day to match what you can get with 4 a day of a script. So you tell me what is and isn't worth it. I'm mostly referring to the fact that other companies (yes GNC) sell fish oil pills that are equivalent in strength as the script at a much, much lower price.

Prescription: $80 monthly 4 a day
Kirkland: $9 12 a day
GNC's Triple Strength: $28 4 a day

Yup my company is corporate scum :redface:

It's typical of a GNC rep that you neglect to mention that the "prescription-strength" (LOL) $28 bottle of yours that requires a mere 4/day only contains 120 softgels, and the $9 but pathetically weak 12/day Kirkland brand contains 400 softgels. Yeah, btw, there, hashish hal, there's no prescription required for fish oil...anywhere. At any strength. But no, you're not a used car salesman at all. GTFO, ass.

Furthermore, on franchise issues, I was only relating hearsay. I specified that. It doesn't surprise me that only the corrupt branches that push massive markup do better in business as a whole.

I can speak concretely on the GNC in my town. It's managed by an overweight woman who deliberately hires non-athlete high school students with no knowledge of supplements (or anything else pertaining to fitness) and pushes hard the supplement lines with ridiculous markups that I'm sure maintain a healthy business for your corporate fraud machine (and I'm not anti-corporate as a whole....just pertaining to GNC and most of the supplement industry).

Yes: your company is corporate scum and snake oil salesmen. Mostly it's useless. America would be stronger without it.

 

[Madmick]

68.99 is the 'regular' price. It hasn't been off a sale of either buy 1 get 1 half price or 49.99 to 54.99 in years ... not arguing because ALL sports brands are super cheaper online but the way people talk about GNC prices are ridiculous. Also, Goldberg is on the cover this month! Come on guy Goldberg! It's Goldberg! GOLDBERG! :redface:

EDIT: from Oct - Nov it's 42.99 ... ... ... ...

Blah blah blah "I'm not trying to fuck you over" blah blah blah.

 

[DragonofMetsu]

I've got 4 extra tubs of Primal Fuel sitting in my kitchen if anyone wants it.

*raises hand*

....just not for $100

 

[WiolentOne]

I guess i'm different than most here, in that i never bought the bull$hit. I've been using plain cheap whey and creatine for years.

Remember when creatine used to be real gritty?

and whey concentrate came with more carbs and would give lots of folks major gas?

 

[Mihow]

It's typical of a GNC rep that you neglect to mention that the "prescription-strength" (LOL) $28 bottle of yours that requires a mere 4/day only contains 120 softgels, and the $9 but pathetically weak 12/day Kirkland brand contains 400 softgels. Yeah, btw, there, hashish hal, there's no prescription required for fish oil...anywhere. At any strength. But no, you're not a used car salesman at all. GTFO, ass.

Furthermore, on franchise issues, I was only relating hearsay. I specified that. It doesn't surprise me that only the corrupt branches that push massive markup do better in business as a whole.

I can speak concretely on the GNC in my town. It's managed by an overweight woman who deliberately hires non-athlete high school students with no knowledge of supplements (or anything else pertaining to fitness) and pushes hard the supplement lines with ridiculous markups that I'm sure maintain a healthy business for your corporate fraud machine (and I'm not anti-corporate as a whole....just pertaining to GNC and most of the supplement industry).

Yes: your company is corporate scum and snake oil salesmen. Mostly it's useless. America would be stronger without it.

Umm Lovasa is a fish oil that requires a prescription. Look at the EPA on GNC's triple strength and compare it to kirklands and notice the difference. Yes, w/ Kirkland's you can get 33.3 days for 9 dollars @ 12 a day but with GNC's for 28$ you can get 30 days @ 4 a day ... it's a choice. Also, we carry 360 regular fish oil caps from 11-13$ so, again, we offer a cheaper alternative. And I am stating the '4 or 12 a day' based on Lovasa's recommended dosage.

It's not massive markup. It's markup so GNC as a company can stay in business. What is cheaper to run: an internet store w/ a giant ass distribution center or a company that has 5000+ brick and mortar shops, tens of thousands of employees which include CEO's and VP's and does tons of advertising? Please, by all means shop online for brands because they are cheaper. BUT I would estimate 30% of the time GNC in-store w/ sales and other discounts is cheaper or within 10% of the price.

Also, you just hated on a whole company because you don't like a lady that runs the GNC near you. Nice!!

 

[Mihow]

Blah blah blah "I'm not trying to fuck you over" blah blah blah.

I just told the guy SPECIFICALLY that GNC is within 3$ of most internet prices for the next two months on Isopure. You're just being an 'internet tough guy' now.

 

[Blackice]

So if GNC sells a 5lb tub of ON Protein for say 64.99 with a 49.99 sale that is a x5 markup from what it's worth? So all retail outlets are scum because they 'mark up' product (as you stupidly call it) from what it is actually worth? Show me one (just one, out of the millions) retail location in America that sells products for what they are made for and I'll eat my GNC logo shirt that I payed 8.95 for. Also, I will then show you a company that loses money with every transaction.

I'm not saying businesses shouldn't mark things up to make a profit, I'm saying that GNC marks it up higher than everyone else, and then tries to sell people on the gold card to make them think they're actually getting a great deal when they're not. I'm sorry, but a 5lb tub of isopure is not worth over $100. I can get the same thing other places for $40-$50 less. I can get pretty much everything for at least $10 less everywhere else, so why the hell would I pay GNC prices? I think it's hilarious that you paid $8.95 for a GNC shirt. You couldn't GIVE me one of those.

 

[Mihow]

I'm not saying businesses shouldn't mark things up to make a profit, I'm saying that GNC marks it up higher than everyone else, and then tries to sell people on the gold card to make them think they're actually getting a great deal when they're not. I'm sorry, but a 5lb tub of isopure is not worth over $100. I can get the same thing other places for $40-$50 less. I can get pretty much everything for at least $10 less everywhere else, so why the hell would I pay GNC prices? I think it's hilarious that you paid $8.95 for a GNC shirt. You couldn't GIVE me one of those.

Ahem, well since I work for GNC and I needed a shirt to wear at work ... you know, it seemed appropriate. You are price quoting astronomically wrong by the way. 42.99 a tub for the next two months ... and usually in the 49-55 range. Yes, you can get things cheaper other places and I am not stating differently. I am just pointing out peoples hate for GNC is usually absurd or stems from one bad encounter w/ a minimum wage college kid employee. Also in Florida, the other stores or competing stores like Vitamin Shoppe or Nutrition Depot or even the local places are going out of business and rather quickly.

 

[Blackice]

Ahem, well since I work for GNC and I needed a shirt to wear at work ... you know, it seemed appropriate. You are price quoting astronomically wrong by the way. 42.99 a tub for the next two months ... and usually in the 49-55 range. Yes, you can get things cheaper other places and I am not stating differently. I am just pointing out peoples hate for GNC is usually absurd or stems from one bad encounter w/ a minimum wage college kid employee. Also in Florida, the other stores or competing stores like Vitamin Shoppe or Nutrition Depot or even the local places are going out of business and rather quickly.

I just looked up isopure online on the GNC website and they want $150 for a 7,5lb tub of isopure...oh wait..look it's on sale for $90!!! What a deal!!!! The truth its that the regular prices everywhere else is already $90 and where I live I can get it for less than that if that's what I wanted to buy. GNC's SALE price is already everyone elses regular price. The only difference is, you don't have to pay for a card that gives you regular prices. It only looks like you're saving money at GNC until you check out all the other stores.

 

[Mihow]

I just looked up isopure online on the GNC website and they want $150 for a 7,5lb tub of isopure...oh wait..look it's on sale for $90!!! What a deal!!!! The truth its that the regular prices everywhere else is already $90 and where I live I can get it for less than that if that's what I wanted to buy. GNC's SALE price is already everyone elses regular price. The only difference is, you don't have to pay for a card that gives you regular prices. It only looks like you're saving money at GNC until you check out all the other stores.

Not sure who/what you are arguing with since I agreed with that statement earlier Products at GNC are hardly EVER not on sale from the rather inflated looking regular price. It's a sales tactic to mark up and then mark down ... and certainly no where near exclusive to GNC.

 

[CelebritySexist]

LOL, shit, I forgot fish oil. That's probably because I get mine at Costco with the Kirkland Multivitamin. I usually buy the other stuff off Bodybuilding.com these days.

What's your take on Kirkland Calcium Citrate, which is essentially an athlete's multi-mineral by any other name? Kirkland seem to me a solid brand, but given I have limited experience with their line, what do you make of them as a whole?

 

[Madmick]

I just told the guy SPECIFICALLY that GNC is within 3$ of most internet prices for the next two months on Isopure. You're just being an 'internet tough guy' now.

Jesus, you're bad at this. Did I threaten you? No, I didn't; ergo, I'm not an internet tough guy.

What I did was pwn your stupid argument. You're trying to make it sound like GNC sells stuff only a doctor can get you. The other was that GNC had a better deal on fish oil. Both are crap assertions/implications. I pointed it out. Be more butthurt.

Kabuki here (I forget his new handle) runs the only GNC I've ever desired to visit. There's a reason the whole sporting culture in Las Vegas is legendary.

 

[Madmick]

What's your take on Kirkland Calcium Citrate, which is essentially an athlete's multi-mineral by any other name? Kirkland seem to me a solid brand, but given I have limited experience with their line, what do you make of them as a whole?

As a brand, I find it fundamentally sound. They don't get caught up in crap hype. The multis are all enteric-coated and time-released. They're richer in the B-complex than general FDA guidelines would have them (since the FDA sucks), but not with like, 6000% megadosing that you piss out.

It's a solid brand. And cheap. I've used it a long time for multis and fish oil.

 

[ElKarlo]

Then you should come into my store

That's make one then:icon_chee

But for real, a skinny-fat Indian guy is not the kinda guy that you want pushing health products.

 

[ElKarlo]

Most branches deliberately hire people who don't know anything so they can be controlled and made to pitch all the GNC/Muscletech crap they make their money on.

Apparently there's some independent non-franchise chains where the owners reject this model. Ironically, and unsurprisingly, I'm told most of these chains outperform their corporate piggy counterparts.

As common as it is, it would make sense that it is intentional. Thanks for letting me in on that.

 

[ZappBrannigan]

Yea.. I take whey. I used Jack3d, but i do understand its just caffeine.

Just eat alot of eggs, tuna, pasta and your good. Also drink milk!

 

[Mihow]

Jesus, you're bad at this. Did I threaten you? No, I didn't; ergo, I'm not an internet tough guy.

What I did was pwn your stupid argument. You're trying to make it sound like GNC sells stuff only a doctor can get you. The other was that GNC had a better deal on fish oil. Both are crap assertions/implications. I pointed it out. Be more butthurt.

Kabuki here (I forget his new handle) runs the only GNC I've ever desired to visit. There's a reason the whole sporting culture in Las Vegas is legendary.

No, you did not. And no, I did not. Look at all your posts ... the hateful attitude towards me is disgusting. I'm a person who enjoys his work and you're calling me butthurt over things you said where I'm just pointing out how incredibly wrong you have been on every post. Most people are incredibly wrong when they hate on GNC but this is the first time someone has been incredibly hateful, ignorant and unwilling to even have a discussion.

 

[Mihow]

What's your take on Kirkland Calcium Citrate, which is essentially an athlete's multi-mineral by any other name? Kirkland seem to me a solid brand, but given I have limited experience with their line, what do you make of them as a whole?

Calcium Citrate, Cellulose Gel, Magnesium Oxide, Talc, Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose, Croscarmellose Sodium, Titanium Dioxide (artificial color), Pyridoxine Hydrochloride, Magnesium Stearate, Zinc Oxide, Vitamin D3 (Cholecalciferol), Mineral Oil, Sodium Borate, Manganese Gluconate, Cupric Gluconate, Triethyl Citrate, Polyethylene Glycol, Corn Starch, Polysorbate 80, Soybean Oil, Carnauba Wax.

compared to say:

Dicalcium phosphate, Cellulose, Titanium Dioxide (Natural Mineral Whitener), Vegetable Acetoglycerides

You tell me, which products look like you want to use it more? These are the 'other ingredients' listed on the label (italics on the top one are the actual calcium, magnesium, zinc and vit d so ignore them as line #2 only shows how the pill is made). Top one is Kirkland bottom one is from a scummy, socialist, pig company.

 

[immovablestone]

EDIT: from Oct - Nov it's 42.99 ... ... ... ...

That's nice, still cheaper with less hassle online, and the rest of the time it costs more than that plus enduring a suburban GNC's salesforce onslaught.

The onslaught isn't a huge deal, they will usually go away with a polite "No thanks, I'm all set." repeated as often as necessary until they get the point, but with the price/ease of online ordering, it seems like a no-brainer.

 

[Henry Swanson]

Yea.. I take whey. I used Jack3d, but i do understand its just caffeine.

Just eat alot of eggs, tuna, pasta and your good. Also drink milk!

Coulda just had a V8.