Sometimes it's all about the (re)packaging. Miami-based Vuru sells nutritional supplements in personalized daily packs. Customers choose from over 2,000 name brand supplements and vitamins, select how many weeks worth they want to purchase and then have their personalized packs shipped to them.
Vuru sticks each daily dose into a slick little pack that fits 2-15 pills. (For power users, larger packs are in the works.) Which means customers are spared the hassle of shaking pills from several bulky bottles, or organizing daily dosages into pill boxes or plastic bags. Vuru packs can be tossed into a handbag or pocket, and are perfect for travel. Besides creating their own unique blends, customers can pick one of Vuru's pre-selected mixes, varying from 'Woman's Yoga Pack' to 'The UrbanDaddy Pack'. To make sense of it all, each order comes with an information sheet, which has a picture of each pill, the supplement facts label, directions, warnings and any other information pertinent to that supplement or vitamin.
Several elements make this concept quite appealing. First of all, customers will love the ability to pick and mix their own, ultra-personalized blend from a wide variety of supplements. Secondly, there's the convenience angle: time-saving and life-hacking, Vuru is what our sister-site trendwatching.com would call a daily lubricant. One of those products that make people's lives just a little bit easier. Last but not least, the packaging is simple, shiny and chic. Which all combines to create a luxury 'health hack' that many consumers are willing to pay a premium for.
The same concept could no doubt be applied to other industries. How about skin care products? Just be sure to think green and keep packaging to a minimum. Meanwhile, if you're in the health care business, note that Vuru operates an affiliate program that lets nutritionists, doctors and other health care professionals create supplement programs for clients and patients, netting them 10% commission for every dollar a client spends. Whether or not that presents ethical dilemmas is a discussion we’ll leave to other blogs ;-)
Website: www.vuru.com
Contact: customersupport@vuru.com
Spotted by: Thei Zervaki
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Really nice article thanx for sharing it
jsmine
tech-chek.blogspot.com
Yay! More consumer throwaway!
"Which means customers are spared the hassle of shaking pills from several bulky bottles, or organizing daily dosages into pill boxes or plastic bags."
Seriously? Is the above sentence true? Is it that hard for anyone?
Can't someone take 10 minutes and make their own vitamin packs for a week. Is it that hard??!!
Lola - that's not the point though; the point is that if a company can meet and/or create consumer demand by developing this company then more power to them.
No,
sometime a company is a sad commentary on society.
Hey nick .. get a life dude .. you don't have to buy so don't cry .. its a creative process and the model will fail if you are right .. IE it all takes care of itself .. Why are you on this site anyway .. Jeeeez
I got to get in on this discussion.. Hubby and I take about 20 suppliments 2x's a day. It takes me several hours to prepare our packets for the month. It all boils down to "how much is your time worth." And the premade packets at the retail level out there are highly inferior tiny amounts that wouldn't suppliment a jackrabbit.
Cheers!
Vuru is no longer in business. Vitamins On Demand (http://www.vitaminsondemand.com/) is a company with a similar concept except they offer better packaging and a simpler way to choose your supplements. Check it out - http://www.vitaminsondemand.com.
Our email address is customersupport@vuru.com.
Grant | May 17, 2007 3:47 PM