Vitacost.com,
Inc. (NASDAQ: VITC), a leading online retailer of health and wellness
products, announced the launch of its new Spice Store, which offers more
than 400 popular spices, seasonings, flavorings and extracts priced at
up to 47% off retail. Consumers may check out the extensive selection by
clicking Spice Store or visiting http://www.vitacost.com/seasonings-spices.
“At
Vitacost we understand the importance of cooking healthier and with the
launch of our new Spice Store, we are excited to offer customers an
extensive inventory of high-quality, organic spices and seasonings to
suit their culinary needs,” stated David Zucker, Ph.D., Chief Marketing
Officer of Vitacost.com. “We have hundreds of different spices to
satisfy today’s flavor-focused consumer at very attractive price
points.”
The
launch of the Spice Store was inspired by the results of a recent poll
of 1,191 Americans that determined basil is America’s favorite spice.
Basil ranked #1 out of 23 popular spices and seasonings, with 18% of the
respondents naming it their favorite. Cinnamon was second, with 12% of
respondents choosing it as their top choice. Salt and pepper were not
included among the options.
Other key findings of the poll:
- 23% of respondents add spices or seasonings to every meal with an additional 29% using them almost every time
-
The vast majority of respondents prefer to combine individual spices to
taste rather than using pre-prepared marinades, condiments or sauces
when flavoring foods
-
Those polled noticed an increased desire for stronger flavoring as they
aged, with 45% of respondents saying they now prefer more “intense”
flavors than they did when they were younger
Vitacost
also conducted an internal survey that found their customers were more
likely to use spices such as garlic, cinnamon and turmeric specifically
for their health benefits. The results of the survey indicated that 74%
of customers regularly used these spices for health reasons.
To
appeal to basil fans seeking a healthy new recipe for the Thanksgiving
dinner table, Vitacost food blogger Amie Valpone, a personal chef and
culinary nutritionist, developed a recipe for Sweet Basil Quinoa Stuffed
Squash, available at blog.vitacost.com or by clicking here.
In
addition to spices and seasoning as part of its organic grocery
selection, Vitacost.com also sells vitamins, supplements, baby care
essentials, pet products, specialty diet products, sports nutrition and
natural beauty and home care products. Currently, Vitacost.com sells
nearly 40,000 items on its website with hundreds of new products added
each week. The company offers free shipping on orders of $49 or more.
Our Thoughts
I am in love with the items I received from Vitacost! I have
two organic vanilla beans, organic dried cilantro, a garlic seasoning mix,
capers and a giant bag of cinnamon. I
could not wait to get home and start cooking! I have found that the garlic
seasoning mix goes great on everything. I have put it on a whole chicken,
zucchini, squash, French fries, potatoes, you name it, this seasoning goes well
with it. The cilantro is a wonderful addition to any Mexican dish. With the amount
of cinnamon that I now have, that’s going into a ton of food as well, it does
add an extra spice to bar-b-que type dishes, as well as cinnamon oatmeal and a
sprinkle or two in my coffee. The vanilla added a great flavor to the banana
ice cream I made for my little ones, turned out absolutely delicious!
Reviewed by Jackie
***Please note that I received no form of monetary compensation for
this post. I did receive a sample of the product
to try in order to write a fair and honest
review. The opinions expressed in this review
are my own and were not influenced in any way. ***