What Care/of got right leading up to its acquisition by Bayer

GNC, which previously had 8,800 stores in the U.S., filed for bankruptcy in June. and said it would close roughly 800 of its remaining 1,200 stores. The Vitamin Shoppe, which went public in 2009 at a roughly $470 million valuation, was resold and taken private last year at valuation of $208 million. The last time the Vitamin Shoppe reported earning... See more

Owens think that Care/of could be attractive as a shop-in-shop insider brick-and-mortar retailers looking to cater to a younger demographic, like Target or even Whole Foods. Given that it’s a subscription service, Care/of could bring more repeat traffic to brick-and-mortar retailers, if these customers visit stores to replenish their subscriptions.

Health and wellness is a popular space for investment because, increasingly, that’s where people are spending their money. But even DTC startups that don’t operate in the health and wellness space can take a page or two from Care/of’s playbook. By acquiring Care/of, Bayer won’t just get access to a new revenue stream, but also unique data on consum... See more