BOCA RATON, Fla., May 6, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vitacost.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:VITC), a leading online retailer of health and wellness products, today announced the launch of the "ARO Black Series," a new proprietary sports nutrition line. ARO, which stands for "Attack, Recover and Optimize," offers specially designed formulas and superior quality products at everyday low prices for the elite as well as the everyday athlete.
The new line includes pre- and post-workout formulas, protein powders, flavored glutamine, creatine, and branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs), in addition to other general health items designed to support athletic performance. All items in the line are free of artificial colors and gluten and contain no hidden ingredients, an increasingly important characteristic for sports nutrition products. The new ARO line initially will contain 27 SKUs with additional products to be added throughout the year, including a line of meal replacement products marketed under the "ARO Lean" brand name.
According to the Nutrition Business Journal, U.S. sales of sports nutrition products accounted for $3.6 billion of the $30.0 billion total U.S. dietary supplement market in 2011. Of this amount, sales sold through the Internet channel accounted for $0.5 billion and are forecast to grow at an 11% CAGR through 2020.
"We are excited about the launch of our new ARO Black Series and believe it meets the rapidly growing demand for high-quality sports nutrition products," stated Jeffrey Horowitz, Chief Executive Officer of Vitacost.com. "In addition, the new ARO line is completely transparent, with no hidden ingredients and is free of harmful impurities – an important distinction when comparing brands and something very important to today's sports-minded consumer. Sports nutrition is an attractive category and Vitacost is quickly becoming a destination for these products with our sales up 59% in 2012 – far outpacing growth for the overall industry. ARO is a natural fit to our existing proprietary business, which accounted for 23% of total company product sales in 2012 and is a key part of our overall growth strategy."
For more information on the Vitacost ARO Black Series, visit http://www.vitacost.com/aro-sports.
About Vitacost.com, Inc.
Vitacost.com, Inc. (Nasdaq:VITC) is a leading online retailer of health and wellness products, including dietary supplements such as vitamins, minerals, herbs and other botanicals, amino acids and metabolites, as well as cosmetics, organic body and personal care products, pet products, sports nutrition and health foods. Vitacost.com, Inc. sells these products directly to consumers through its website, www.vitacost.com. Vitacost.com, Inc. strives to offer its customers the broadest selection of healthy living products, while providing superior customer service and timely and accurate delivery.