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01/06/12
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More new exhibitors confirmed for camexpo 2012!

With camexpo now just under five months away, organisers Diversified Business Communications UK has today announced some exciting new additions to its exhibitor list. Supplement specialist Nutri (Import & Exports) Limited, leading industry association the Federation of Holistic Therapists (FHT), Backjoy Europe BV, Acupressure Mats UK, Galway Natural Health Company, and Tisso Naturprodukte GmbH, are just a few of the latest companies to have confirmed their presence.

The UK’s only dedicated professional holistic event, camexpo 2012, which returns to London’s Earls Court on 20-21 October, will feature an extensive array of innovative new products, technologies, and services from over 200 of the natural healthcare industry’s leading manufacturers, suppliers and training providers.

Since its launch in 2002, camexpo has established a huge following for being the essential go-to event for complementary practitioners and therapists looking to stay up-to-date with all the latest research and product developments for their clients. Given the success of its 2011 show, which attracted 5,333 attendees and a wealth of positive feedback, camexpo 2012 looks set to be celebrating its milestone 10th anniversary in great company.

“Two glorious days of meeting our delightful FHT members and discussing business and therapy practice in a very pleasant exhibition environment is a pleasure as well as a benefit to the Federation of Holistic Therapists,” says Melanie Prince, the international association’s general manager. “We are always very busy on our stand and the speakers we sponsor always have well-attended sessions. We fully expect camexpo 2012 to be as busy and successful as ever.”

It’s a view shared by many of the show’s returning exhibitors, including Linda Booth, vice chair of ARCH (The Association & Register of Colon Hydrotherapists): “We exhibited at camexpo for the first time last year and had such a great response from therapists that we’ve decided to repeat it again this year. camexpo is a great platform for the UK Colonic Association to get its message across about the safety and benefits of modern naturopathic colonic hydrotherapy, particularly when treating bowel dysfunction associated with IBS, and chronic constipation.”

Asa Enmalm, owner of Acupressure Mats UK, which also returns for its second year, is equally upbeat, commenting that camexpo 2012 is “one exhibition that we could not afford to miss”.

“camexpo is the place to meet people for a company like us,” agrees Bernie Osborne, European sales manager for BackJoy Europe BV (creators of the world’s first Orthotic for backs). “Not only did we sell a lot of products last year but we also got connected to a lot of business-to-business contacts.”

With 96% of 2011’s surveyed exhibitors reporting an increase in brand awareness following their appearance at the show, camexpo offers a unique proposition for manufacturers and suppliers looking to strengthen and expand their trade presence in the UK’s growing CAM market. Amongst the new exhibitors hoping to attract new business this year are Chinese medicine pioneers Acumedic, Anamchara Detox Retreats, global payment processing company Digital Pays, Human Frameworks (sole UK distributor of the Acuball), hair mineral analyst providers Mineral Check, Baby Reflex (which has developed a soothing reflexology technique aimed at babies and toddlers), colon hydrotherapy equipment suppliers HAB Herrmann, and Guernsey-based Channel Island Flower Essences.

“camexpo is perfectly positioned to attract our target audience of customers, practitioners and therapists,” says David O’Connor, managing director of Galway Natural Health Company. “This is our first time exhibiting at the show and we’re looking forward to introducing visitors to ReviveQ10plus, our revolutionary cardiovascular, anti-ageing health food supplement. Its active ingredients include CoEnzymeQ10 and L’Aginine, which both won their discoverers the Nobel Prize for medicine and chemistry respectively.”

camexpo 2012 show highlights include 48 Taster Workshops (sponsored by Balens), 22 free Keynote seminars (in two Revital-sponsored theatres), and two days of lively free demonstrations in the CThA Demo Theatre and on the CAM Stage Live. Full details are available on the show’s website www.camexpo.co.uk.

For further information and to register, please visit www.camexpo.co.uk

Institute for Optimum Nutrition Conference 2012

The Nutritional Needs of Movement

Saturday 30th June 2012, 9:30 to 5:30, Hallam Conference Centre, London

Tickets are now on sale for The ION conference, 2012. The conference will focus on how to ensure healthy bones, joints and muscles throughout life, and how deal with common disorders such as osteoporosis, arthritis, osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, sarcopenia, ankylosing spondylitis and fibromyalgia. The programme will also include an overview on nutrition for endurance sports.

This exciting conference will explore the key roles of nutrition and the gut in the health of the musculoskeletal system.

The varied programme has a wide range of highly respected speakers, including Professor Alan Ebringer from King’s College; osteopath and naturopath Marcus Webb; Steve Hines, physical performance specialist at Fulham FC; Peter Cartwright, human microbiota specialist; Robyn Mason, specialist in gluten sensitivity; Tom Fox, sports scientist and clinical PNI practitioner from the Natura Foundation; Andrew Thomas, founder and managing director of healthcare company BetterYou; Alessandro Ferretti, clinical nutritionist; Paul Chamberlain, performance nutrition consultant; Stephen Terrass, CEO and Founder of Terranova Nutrition; and Dr Mark Edwards, Clinical Research Fellow at Southampton General Hospital.

The Conference will be instrumental to any practitioner that may work with clients suffering from mobility problems, including Nutritional Therapists, complementary practitioners, physiotherapists, sports therapists, osteopaths and chiropractors, and anyone working in the field of personal fitness.

A goody bag from our 13 sponsors (worth £70) and a healthy lunch are also included.

CPD accreditation has been applied for through BANT.

Preliminary programme (subject to change):

Topic - Speaker

  • Welcome and overview - Val Bullen
  • Early life and environmental determinants of musculoskeletal disease - Mark Edwards
  • Maintaining a healthy gut through the microflora - Peter Cartwright
  • Fibromyalgia-the gut/brain link - Tom Fox

Break

  • The secret life of bone - Marcus Webb
  • Magnesium - it’s role in movement and strength - Andrew Thomas
  • The overlooked connective tissue - Alessandro Ferretti

Lunch

  • The gut connection in Ankylosing Spondylitis - Alan Ebringer
  • Gluten and muscles -from gut to gait - Robyn Mason
  • Osteoarthritis - Stephen Terrass

Break

  • Sarcopenia - Steve Hines
  • In it for the long run: Nutrition for endurance sports - Paul Chamberlain
  • Summary and feedback - Val Bullen

Booking fee £85

ION members/students £70

Venue:

Hallam Conference Centre

44 Hallam Street

London W1W 6JJ

For further information, please call Olga Hamilton on 020 8614 7800

Email: [email protected]

Register on ION’s website: www.ion.ac.uk

Selenium-CoQ10 combination cut heart death risk by half

Posted on30 May 2012. Tags: CoQ10, heart disease, selenium – www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk

Swedish scientists have shown that supplementing with a combination of selenium and coenzyme Q10 could halve the risk of dying from heart disease, reports the Daily Mail, Daily Express and others.
The Swedish scientists, based at the renowned Karolinska Institutet, led by Dr Urban Alehagen, carried out a study of 443 healthy men and women aged between 70 and 88.
Participants received either 200mg per day of CoQ10 capsules and 200µg of organic selenium yeast tablets, or a placebo, for 48 months.
The scientists found that 5.9 per cent of participants in the supplementation group had died of heart disease after five years, compared to 12.9 per cent of those in the placebo group.

Can I help you at all? – Harry Hill takes to the tills

Posted on22 May 2012. Tags: Fairtrade, Harry Hill, Liberation Foods – www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk

Harry Hill has taken his turn behind the till at Oxfam in London ’s Kensington High Street to encourage Oxfam shoppers to buy the Harry’s Nuts! range of Fairtrade nut products.
Harry’s Nuts! is the successful Fairtrade nuts brand developed by Harry and Fairtrade nut company Liberation Foods. Harry makes no money from this – he came up with the idea to help smallholder peanut farmers in Malawi sell their crops in the UK for a guaranteed fair price – and not at the roadside in Malawi or for a low price at the local market.
As well as being on sale in 200 Oxfam stores the products are also available at Sainsbury’s, Waitrose, The People’s Supermarket and other outlets.
The peanuts come from farming groups in Malawi , Mozambique and Nicaragua . The cashews are from smallholder farms in Mozambique and India .

New audit scheme prepares Chinese medicine firms for stricter standards

Posted on18 May 2012. Tags: Chinese herbal medicine, Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine – www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk
An initiative to improve the quality of Chinese medicine in the UK has been launched.
Under the Approved Suppliers Scheme, companies which supply herbal ingredients or products will be audited by an independent auditor with substantial experience in the pharmaceutical industry. The new scheme focuses on companies that supply raw ingredients (such as dried herbs or concentrated powders) to practitioners or manufactured products, whether made in the UK or imported.
The audit covers a range of aspects and some standards are the same as those required of pharmaceutical companies. There are additional requirements relevant to herbal suppliers, such as labelling ingredients in Chinese and in Latin, and checks to ensure that no banned or endangered plants are stocked.
The Approved Suppliers Scheme has been set up by the Register of Chinese Herbal Medicine, the leading professional organisation for the Chinese medicine sector in the UK (RCHM). The RCHM established an Approved Suppliers Scheme in 2004, the first of its kind, and the revised scheme strengthens the original requirements. It is expected that the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulation Agency (MHRA) will impose a similar audit for herbal suppliers to coincide with the statutory regulation of herbalists, which is due in the autumn of 2013.
Emma Farrant, ceo of the RCHM says, “This scheme aims to prepare herbal suppliers for the stricter standards that will be required when statutory regulation is introduced. We are encouraging all Chinese medicine companies in the UK to enrol so the sector is fully prepared.”
Although new requirements for manufactured herbal medicines came into force in 2011, these do not cover the whole sector; the Approved Suppliers Scheme aims to ensure that all aspects of the herbal medicine sector are as robust as possible.
RCHM says that two suppliers have so far met the required standards for the Approved Suppliers Scheme – Mayway and Phoenix – and three companies are awaiting audits. Another company was audited but has been asked to address a number of issues before it can be accepted on to the scheme.
The RCHM estimates that there are around 20 herbal suppliers who would be eligible for an audit.
RCHM is offering training to help more companies to meet the scheme’s standards.

Profile | Healthy Sales & Marketing

Posted on28 May 2012. Tags: Cliff Miss, Clipper Teas, Green & Black’s, Healthy Sales & Marketing – www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk

Healthy Sales & Marketing is one of the health food trade’s best-kept secrets – yet the brands it represents have sales of over £30 million. Here, Natural Products editor Jim Manson talks to HSM founder Cliff Moss about what it takes to succeed in today’s congested and competitive natural products sector.
You eventually get to the head offices of Healthy Sales & Marketing when you reach a converted barn at the end of a long, winding lane in deepest rural Sussex.
But that’s the not the real reason why the company remains one of the health food trade’s best kept secrets. That has much more to do with HSM’s style of operation – a hard-working, behind the scenes business with the focus on delivering value for its clients. And by all accounts that is also the style of Healthy Sales & Marketing’s founder Cliff Moss.
Comments one industry insider: “Cliff is well known and respected in the trade but he’s actually quite a modest guy. He’s much happier putting his energies into the brands rather than blowing his own trumpet. It’s served HSM and those brands it represents ¬– big and small – very well.”

Strong focus
So, what is it that makes HSM stand out in the natural products arena? The evidence that it does, incidentally, can be seen in its client list – Green & Black’s, Clipper Teas, Tom’s of Maine, Urtekram, Lifestream, Pai, Tints of Nature and USN Sports Nutrition being among the roll call of leading natural and organic brands on its lists. Our industry insider again: “HSM’s specialisation in the health food trade is certainly one factor. But the company also has a very strong focus on the last part of the chain. Lots of agencies will get you listed by a wholesaler but HSM has a reputation for physically going into stores and getting products on shelves.”
HSM offers a flexible range of services – everything from sales representation through to the fully integrated running of a UK business, for an overseas company. But it prides itself on being able to get products into the marketplace quickly, and pull them through at the retail level thanks to its sales team. And the company’s feet-on-the-ground way of doing business has helped it forge a unique relationship with both health food retailers and wholesalers.

Healthy Sales & Marketing was formed in 1995 by Cliff Moss, a natural products industry stalwart who previously held senior positions (managing director of Whole Earth Foods and Green & Black’s among them) with several leading brands. In just 17 years he has built a solid, respected business. The HSM group also owns a range of new and heritage brands which complement rather than conflict with its client offering – among them PLj Lemon Juice, Honegar, and Free & Easy

Experienced team
So, what is it that makes HSM’s offer so effective? Moss tells Natural Products: “It’s a mixture of things. We’re a very hands-on company and I make it my business to regularly call on clients and retailers, and the whole team here stays very close to the industry – and at the forefront of industry developments. As well as having access to key buyers – a challenge often for companies coming into the UK – our turnkey approach includes an importation and logistical function for the UK wholesalers. So we are able to consolidate supply to wholesalers of a number of products. Simple things like product labelling can be a real challenge unless you have an experienced partner to work with like HSM.” And Moss stresses the experience and industry knowledge of the whole team – “even our accountant has a qualification from ION”.

While HSM represents its brands in the fine food, multiple retail, pharmacy and online (it even has its own selling site – grumpygorrila.co.uk) channels, its main focus has always been on the natural products sector.

Operating out of a dedicated site in Cheshire, the company works with all the specialist health food wholesalers in Britain and Ireland. Its sales team meets with 300 independent health food stores every six weeks and holds very regular meetings with Holland & Barrett.

Inside track

HSM is able to offer its clients an inside track by virtue of that specialist knowledge and engagement with the health food trade. Moss explains: “Taking a brand to market is tough – and the UK health food sector is probably the most congested in the world. Part of my job is giving new entrants a bit of a reality check! To succeed in the sector you need to understand how it works, you need to allow time to grow – it’s not instant sales like the multiples, it can take a year or so for volumes to grow. You’ll need genuinely innovative products, not a ‘me too’ range. You’ve got to keep talking to retailers and be actively using PR to drive customers to your products.”

A recipe for success? Well, proof of the pudding can be seen in the individual brand successes. Even well-established brands in the HSM fold have been recording strong growth in recent years. Clipper Teas is one example, where that growth is the product “of getting the legwork done”. USN has also seen good growth thanks to work done to strengthen distribution. “Supporting well-known brands with distribution of core products translates directly into more SKUs on shelves.”

Take it seriously
The health food trade is different, says Moss. “You need to treat the sector seriously and understand that it’s an ethics based sector. You need to understand the issues that drive consumers into these specialist stores – health, free-from, organic, Fairtrade, wholefood.
“And you’ll need to understand how the wholesalers work in the natural products channel – where you have up to 20 specialist wholesalers servicing probably no more than a thousand health stores. Do you know what listing fee to expect, what type of wholesaler promotion will serve you best?
These are all areas where HSM has extensive experience. ‘We’ve got a bit of traction, and that can help new brands get established more quickly and more sure-footedly.

And when it comes to wholesaler marketing and promotions, brands need to spend money, says Moss. “There’s a temptation in austere times to batten down the hatches. But the brands that are doing that are the ones currently losing market share. The people who are investing in the health food channel at the moment are reaping the rewards – Green & Black’s being a good example.”

Moss believes the perennial ‘independents versus multiples’ debate is unhelpful. “It’s a false comparison to make. The evidence shows that virtually every brand that has a multiple offer has seen its health food trade sales increase as a result. And the problem for brands who are only in the health channel is that they peak quickly and peak smaller. Our approach is to create a bespoke offer to the independent trade to help ensure brands enjoy growth in both channels.”

A changing retail landscape
HSM’s long-standing and regular contact with the independent retail trade provides it with some unique insights into the changing retail landscape – and the challenges facing the independent sector. Comments Cliff Moss: “There are some very good retailers out there. But there are also a lot who have not moved on. There really are some stores that still look like they are firmly stuck in the seventies! There’s often a lack of clear merchandising so you end up with an incoherent jumble of products. And while they may be offering new product categories, like high-end natural products, the selling environment is still low-end. Facias need to be updated to reflect that style – and price points – of these products.

“Most stores could make simple improvements that would help drive up average basket spend. There’s a case also for thinking more strategically. We try to offer lots of promotions to independents and we do it to build brand awareness, not increase sales. Unfortunately very few retailers pass on the discount to their customers, so that opportunity to grow footfall by getting people through the front door is being lost.

Building relationships
Moss attaches high importance to relationship building: “We’ve been working with some of our brands – for example, Toms of Maine, Green & Black’s and Lifestream – virtually since we started. It’s a very relationship focused trade.” Working with the right people in the first instance is also important,” he says. “We’re strict with ourselves about who, and what, we work with. We’re looking to work with businesses that show a real commitment and who have a consistent message – those are things we pride ourselves on too. And for our part we try to avoid competing brands – so, for example, we don’t work for any other chocolate brand.”

HSM is also undertakes bespoke PR and marketing campaigns for its brands, offering everything from advice on strategic direction to full implementation of multi-channel campaigns. “We were delighted recently to bring Stephanie Matson on board. Stephanie has an excellent track record and understanding of health sector PR. She’s a great addition to the team here and one which means that we are the only sales and marketing operation in the natural products sector offering a fully integrated PR, sales and marketing service. As well as being a unique feature, we think it’s an essential one for brands in the current economic climate”.

It’s good to talk

One of the ways that the company ‘talks’ regularly with retailers is through its quarterly 8-page magazine Healthy Talk. Produced on a non-profit basis – and raising money for charities – it’s distributed to 1000 health stores and aims to be informative as well as functioning as an effective sales tool.
Healthy Talk is just another way that Healthy Sales & Marketing aims to set itself apart. But I ask Cliff Moss if he could pick out the single most important ingredient of success in today’s congested and competitive health food trade. “There’s always a case to be made for working smarter, not harder. But this is very much a relationship-focused trade and you’ve got to get the legwork done. You’ve got to put yourself and your brands in front of people. Face to face is still so important. “

MOSS OBSERVATION
Get the legwork done

This is relationship-focused trade and you’ve got to get the legwork done. You’ve got to put yourself and your brands in front of people. There’s no substitute for face to face.

Remember, the health trade is different

You need to treat the sector seriously and understand that it’s an ethics based sector. You need to understand the issues that drive consumers into these specialist stores – health, free-from, organic, Fairtrade, wholefood

‘Independents versus multiples’?

It’s a false comparison to make. The evidence shows that virtually every brand that has a multiple offer has seen its health food trade sales increase as a result. Our approach is to create a bespoke offer to the independent trade to ensure brands enjoy growth in both channels.

You have to invest!
It’s tempting in austere times to batten down the hatches. The brands that are doing that are the ones losing market share. The people investing the in the channel are reaping the rewards. You’ve got to spend some money!

The short CV

Business name: Healthy Sales & marketing

Locations: Billingshurst, West Sussex; Wardle, Cheshire

Managing Director: Cliff Moss

Staff: 45

Client brands: Green & Black’s, Clipper Teas, Schwabe, Toms of Maine, USN Sports Nutrition, Tints of Nature, Pai

Distributor brands: Lifestream, Urtekram, Healthy Foods Brands (PLJ, Honegar, Free & Easy)

Blog Spot | Give yourselves a sporting chance this summer!

Posted on30 May 2012. – www.naturalproductsonline.co.uk

Robert Taylor – vice president at Vitabiotics and HFMA Council member – urges health food retailers to make the most of the opportunity presented by this summer’s London Olympic Games.

With the London 2012 Olympic Games just around the corner, there are huge opportunities for health retailers and businesses to capitalise on what will be the biggest UK sporting event in our lifetimes. The UK will be a magnet for millions of national and international visitors for the duration of the games and retailers will be among the first to benefit from the massive spending power. But how can health retailers take full advantage of the Games in their own communities?

“Legacy benefits” of hosting the Games were at the heart of London’s original bid – to deliver nationwide objectives in the form of economic, social and health benefits for the UK. With a commitment to help at least two million more people in England lead a more active lifestyle in 2012, the unique and distinguishing feature of this Olympic Games has been the emphasis on the effects of physical activity and sports participation on the wellbeing of the population.

In the run up to the Olympics, there is a unique opportunity for retailers and manufacturers to engage with new and existing customers to promote sports and health products. Highlighting specific sports-related health products is essential so imaginative sports themed window displays provide an ideal starting point, showcasing what’s on offer to support active lifestyles. The Games are inspiring so capitalise on this with displays and promotions in-store or special events and evenings aimed to motivate and encourage consumers to get involved in sports or fitness. Perhaps see if a local Olympic hopeful will do a store visit. The key is to remember that health products and supplements are no longer niche products that only target professional athletes and ripped bodybuilders. They are increasingly popular among your mainstream customers seeking to improve their physical health. It’s therefore recreational and lifestyle users that can continue to drive growth in this market, even after the Olympic show is over.

It’s equally important for retailers to maintain a high level of technical knowledge regarding the sports products which they carry. In some cases, you may be required to reassure customers that the sports vitamins, supplements and whey protein formulations that you stock to help support individual training programmes, are suitable for use by athletes and do not contravene any rules in sport on testing or banned substances.

With obesity on the rise, the Olympics also stand as a rare opportunity to motivate the nation, especially young people, to try new activities and sports. The Youth Sport Trust Young Ambassadors programme is a movement of inspirational young people who encourage other young people to take up sport and physical activity. Central to the programme is the principle that young people can drive opportunity, engagement and change for all young people to be involved in sport. They are selected as role models by their schools and School Sport Partnerships and share the Olympic Values by organising workshops, assemblies, practical sessions and informative talks. See if there are any Ambassadors in your area and if not, team up with local gyms and together, start encouraging and supporting schools and communities to nominate young people for the role.

At Vitabiotics, we’ve embraced this with the launch of Team Vitabiotics, supporting some of the UK’s top Olympic hopefuls including triple jumper Nadia Williams, long jumper JJ Jegede and hammer throwers Mark Dry and Sophie Hitchon while also introducing Wellman Optimuscle Whey Protein formulations into the Vitabiotics range.

There is no doubt that the London 2012 Games are a unique, once-in-a-lifetime national event, and health retailers and manufacturers can and should make the most of the opportunities that hosting them will bring. Take at look at your existing sports range and plan how to expand and make the most of showcasing it in store. There is still time for retailers to tap into and capitalise on the Olympics with the right in-store promotions, sampling and displays which inspire and encourage consumers to get take an interest in their own health, while promoting the importance of an active lifestyle.

Take Away Points:
• There is still time for retailers to tap into and capitalise on the Olympics.
• Imaginative sports themed window displays, promotions in-store and special events and evenings are ideal starting points.
• It’s essential for retailers to maintain a high level of technical knowledge regarding the sports products they have in-store.
Robert Taylor is vice president/marketing director at Vitabiotics and an HFMA Council member. An edited version of this article appears in the HFMA Bulletin page in the June issue of Natural Products magazine