ViSalus facts for kids
 |
|
| Industry | Multi-level marketing |
|---|---|
| Founded | March 1, 2005 |
| Founders | Ryan Blair (CEO) Blake Mallen (CMO) Nick Sarnicola |
| Headquarters |
,
USA
|
|
Number of locations
|
2 |
|
Area served
|
USA, Canada, UK |
| Products | Dietary supplements |
|
Number of employees
|
275 |
Vi, which used to be called ViSalus Sciences, is an American company. It is based in Los Angeles, California, and also has offices in Detroit. The company is well-known for its "Body by Vi 90-Day Challenge" program. Vi sells products like shakes and drinks that help people manage their weight. They also offer dietary supplements and energy drinks. You can find Vi's products in the United States, Canada, Italy, and the United Kingdom. Most of the company's sales come from weight management products, such as the Vi-Shape meal replacement shake.
Contents
History of Vi
Vi was first started in 1997 by Nick Sarnicola and Blake Mallen. They were working for another company called The Free Network. In 2005, after The Free Network closed, a person named Ryan Blair bought Vi. He got help from an investment company called Ropart Asset Management. Nick Sarnicola and Blake Mallen stayed with Vi in important sales and marketing roles. The company then moved to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Vi's Growth and Changes
Around 2008, Vi faced financial difficulties. But then, another company called Blyth, Inc. bought a part of Vi. Blyth, Inc. sells home decor and also uses a similar business model. By 2010, Vi was doing much better and making a lot of money each month. Blyth, Inc. then bought an even bigger part of Vi in 2011.
In 2012, Blyth, Inc. owned most of Vi. They planned to offer Vi's shares to the public for the first time. This is called an initial public offering. However, this plan was later canceled. Vi had grown very quickly in 2012, becoming one of the fastest-growing companies of its size. Some people criticized Vi, saying that its sales numbers were very high because it recruited many top sellers from other companies. These sellers would sometimes move to different companies after Vi's peak. This practice was legal.
Becoming an Independent Company
In 2014, Vi announced that it had become a private, independent company again. Blyth, Inc. still owned a small part of Vi. At this time, Vi's earnings and sales had gone down since 2012. The company had also been losing money in 2013 and early 2014. After becoming private, Vi stopped sharing its sales numbers publicly.
In 2012, Vi had many people selling its products, about 114,000. By 2014, this number had dropped to about 31,800. Nick Sarnicola, one of the founders, was the biggest seller for Vi. His team was responsible for a large part of the company's income. In 2016, Vi had to let go of 87 workers at one of its offices. This happened after several years of lower sales and some legal issues.
Vi's Products
Vi's main products are for weight management. These include the Vi-Shape meal replacement shake and Vi-Trim Clear Control Drink Mix. Other products include Neuro, which is an energy drink, and Vi-Pak, an energy supplement.
Vi promotes its products through the Body by Vi Challenge. This is a program where people set goals for losing weight and getting fit. They try to reach these goals over a 90-day period.
Where Vi is Located
Vi's products are now sold in 16 different countries. These include the USA, the UK, Italy, and Canada. In 2013, Vi started selling its products in the United Kingdom. In 2014, Vi also expanded to Germany and Austria.
See also
In Spanish: ViSalus (empresa) para niños
