GNC opens first standalone China store

Pittsburgh -- GNC Holdings Inc. on Monday opens its first freestanding store in China. The store, located in the Raffles City complex in Shanghai, is the first of about 25 standalone stores GNC plans to open in China during the next 12 months.



GNC has had a retail presence in China for the past two years through more than 60 store-within-a-store locations within eight different major grocery, convenience and health-and-wellness chains in China, including Ole, City Super, Sam's Club and Watson's. The retailer also sells products to Chinese consumers online through partnerships with e-commerce sites including Tmall, Amazon and 360buy, and runs an office and distribution center in Shanghai.



"In only two years, the GNC brand has developed strong acceptance among Chinese consumers,” said Joseph Fortunato, chairman, president and CEO of GNC. “GNC will continue to expand our retail store presence in this dynamic and fast-growing market, and we are excited about finding new opportunities to address the needs of China's many health & wellness consumers with new and innovative products."