Health food store battles competition with its niche service

That focus on specialty service has kept the business thriving for nearly four decades, Miller said.

“We’re not trying to be anything that we’re not,” she said. “We focus specifically on what we do, and we do it really well.”

Health Foods Unlimited is located at 2250 Miamisburg Centervillle Road in the South Towne Center development.

On a weekday afternoon, customers milled in and out of aisles stacked full of vitamins and supplements. The juice and java bar sent wafts of coffee aroma through the store, and Miller waved at a woman entering the front doors.

“People continue coming here because of our customer service,” Miller said. “We have a unique selection and we have an educated staff to help customers choose what they want.”

The store displays fresh fruits and vegetables to the right of the entrance, and products are stacked neatly and organized by category. Inventory includes vitamins, supplements, health and beauty care items, and frozen foods.

Approximately 300 to 400 customers will visit the store daily, according to Miller. An influx of customers come on Saturdays and Sundays.

Just down the street, Whole Foods moved in at 1050 Miamisburg-Centerville Road. That store will celebrate its one-year anniversary this weekend. Health Foods Unlimited faces competition with local Dorothy Lane Markets, Trader Joe’s, Fresh Thyme and Kroger locations.

Even superstores like Walmart, Meier and Target are attempting to provide organic and natural products as customers reach for healthier options in the aisle. Manager Thom McDonald said the competition doesn’t faze the Health Foods Unlimited team – the store sticks with its strengths.

“We’re not Whole Foods,” he said. “We’re not Kroger. And we’re not trying to be.”

Miller said trends affect what the store stocks, and they do that better than any other place around. Customers have been buying magnesium at a higher rate recently, she noticed.

“We can notice things like that. We can gauge what people are buying, and order more and have it in by the next day,” she said. “Corporate groceries can’t tailor their inventory and make a change like that as quickly.”

McDonald said it really comes down to customer loyalty. The business moved to its current location about a decade ago, and nearly doubled in size of the original building.

The store first opened down the street from its current location by Miller’s mother, who died more than a decade ago. Miller said customers still trickle in who knew her mother. She likens Health Foods Unlimited to the “Cheers” of the local grocery scene.

“It’s where everybody knows your name,” she said.

Keya Dickensheets of Middletown walked out of the store with two arms full of bags. She became a patron of the store nine years ago because of her son’s food allergies. Despite other health food options, service and proximity keeps her coming back.

“It was the only place back then that had gluten-free and different options,” she said. “It’s the original Dayton health store.”