The context of what it means to be omnichannel has changed. Omnichannel is no longer about growing sales as much as it is about holding onto them. VMS brands looking to master their sales channel strategy should take note.

Look to the expansion of practitioner brands who hold the advantage of a savvy and trusting patient base (see “A matter of trust,” page 8). Or look to MLMs trying out new models, with distributors staking out virtual real estate on Amazon.

We are also hearing of a backlog of new product ideas and ingredients coming off lab benches that got scant attention during the pandemic. But some of the innovation obviously needs to happen in the sales channels.

There's a lot of innovation in the storefront wellness centers and in-store clinics popping up across the country (see “A clinic on every corner,” page 15). Retailers are also innovating (see “Inflation in the aisles,” page 23), leaning into service and shaking up the brand selection to meet changing needs of consumers experiencing economic anxiety. E-commerce, perhaps ironically, might also be due for a refresh. Sales growth is not just a sliver of what we saw during the pandemic. It’s a sliver of what we saw before the pandemic (see “Changing channels,” page 1). The slumped market pressure test on channels might actually be a good thing.

We’re not sure anybody ever called urgency the mother of innovation, but it’s certainly teaching brands a new meaning for “omnichannel.”