Message from VRM Media about Coronavirus
To our readers and business partners,
In these challenging times for all businesses and individuals operating within the natural products community, we at VRM Media — publisher of Vitamin Retailer, Nutrition Industry Executive, Natural Practitioner and Fitness Trainer — want to first express our sincerest wishes for the best of health and well-being to all industry members and their families.
As we are all quite aware, the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has created major challenges for natural product industry retailers, manufacturers, suppliers and others. This unprecedented situation included the recent cancellation or postponement of several major industry trade shows, including Natural Products Expo West and SupplySide East. On top of these interruptions to our industry’s regular Spring trade shows, businesses have also experienced restrictions to their employees’ travel, governmental “shelter in place” orders to individuals, and various other disruptions to normal business and personal operations.
With “social distancing” now causing previously commonplace occurrences like face-to-face business meetings to be a rarity, VRM wants to remind our readers that we are here to inform…and to help!
As the trusted informational business resource for the natural products industry for over 25 years, VRM Media’s print and digital staff promises that we will make the strongest effort possible to keep all industry members well-informed about the developing coronavirus situation – in particular with regard to the disease’s direct impact on our marketplace.
Furthermore, VRM’s stable of magazines and online resources will continue to function as a vital link for product information between advertisers/marketers and our readership.
We encourage all of our industry associates to check for timely industry news and other updates that our editors are making daily on our social media sites: facebook.com/vitaminretailermagazine, twitter.com/vitaminretailer, and by also visiting our websites: vitaminretailer.com, niemagazine.com,
naturalpractitionermag.com, fitnesstrainermag.com.
We further recommend that everyone stay up to date on the latest industry news by subscribing to our free industry e-newsletters by clicking here.
Our magazine subscribers should continue to look forward to receiving VR, NIE, NP and FT, and to reading about new product announcements from our advertisers and other product manufacturers; educational and “how to” articles from leading industry experts; and in-depth feature articles covering the full gamut of health-enhancing nutritional products.
VRM agrees with the Natural Products Association that health and natural food stores are vital consumer resources for essential health and nutritional products. As such, these retail businesses should be allowed to stay open to the public (at the discretion of store owners), even when other “non-essential” businesses such as bars and restaurants may be temporarily closed to help decrease spread of the disease. Unquestionably, dietary supplements and various other nutritional products offer proven health benefits (such as those which enhance immune system functionality), and therefore must remain readily available to consumers!
We wish to inform you at this time that the majority of VRM’s New Jersey staff will begin working from home effective immediately and until further notice. All staff members are well-prepared to work remotely, and we do not expect any disruptions to our regular production schedule.
To our dedicated readers and valued marketing partners, the staff of VRM wishes to express its most sincere appreciation for your continued support. Now more than ever, let’s all work closely together and help each other get through these challenging times.
Please contact any of us directly if we can be of any assistance to you or your company.
Sincerely,
Daniel McSweeney, Publisher
DanM@VRMmedia.com
(805) 798-0889
Russ Fields, Associate Publisher
RussF@VRMmedia.com
o: (732) 432-9600, ext. 102
c: (908) 208-6843
Barry Young, Advertising Sales Manager
Barry@VRMmedia.com
(732) 850-2238
Janet Poveromo, Editor-In-Chief
JanetP@VRMmedia.com
(732) 432-9600, ext. 104
Shari Barbanel, Editor-In-Chief
ShariB@VRMmedia.com
(732) 432-9600, ext. 108
Ellen Thompson, Editor-In-Chief
Fitness Trainer magazine
Thompson.Ellen@Gmail.com
Nico Saraceno, Associate Editor
NicoS@VRMmedia.com
(732) 432-9600, ext. 105
Robert Certo, Art Director/Production Manager
RobertC@VRMmedia.com
(856) 701-8767
Bryan Zak, Production Assistant/Graphic Artist
BryanZ@VRMmedia.com
(732) 432-9600, ext. 106
