The first time I went into this store was about a year ago when my mother was getting ready to start chemotherapy. Until then, I had never really thought about it, just passed by it every time I was in the mall. I quite frankly assumed it was just for juice heads who worked out constantly and no one else. That opinion was quickly changed when I got there!
We were looking for protein powder for my mom, because it would help replace meals when she was throwing up due to the chemo. Well, let me tell you, it was THE best investment ever! If you know anyone going through chemo or anything like it, protein powder is the best meal replacement. What I bought (I'll add a pic in to this review) mixes well into yogurt, milk, smoothies, you can blend it with fruit, whatever you want, and it blends very well. I put some in yogurt this morning, mixed it in with a spoon, and threw some frozen berries into it, and was good to go.
Going into this store for the first time was a daunting task. There's what seems like 8 million boxes, tubs, canisters, and pills for everything and then some. I had a vague idea of what I needed, but had never bought anything like it before. So this place was almost a crapshoot, but it seemed like the right place. Well, I was right.
The employees working were absolutely amazing. It was clear my mother and I were beyond lost when we came in and didn't just want to browse. There were two employees, a male and female. The woman is the one who took over helping us. She asked what we needed. I said protein powder. She asked all the pertinent questions, is it for building muscle, meal replacement, ect. I explained I needed isolate protein powder and it was for my mother who would be starting chemo very shortly, so mostly for meal replacements.
The employee immediately went to a shelf, picked up a large canister and handed it to me. She said this is what you need and here's the flavors we carry. No trying to up sell anything, no long winded explanations, no confusion, just here you go. Which is exactly what I needed at that point. Since I had no idea what this stuff tasted like, I opted for the vanilla flavor. At this point in commenting that, the employee explained the ways she uses it and confirmed that it's great to add to yogurt and smoothies. Sometimes it is nice to have someone say I use this and here's how.
We then proceeded to the checkout to pay for this, which seemed like a small fortune for a canister of powder. Not knowing how long it would last or if it would work didn't help that any either. The employee asked if we wanted to sign up for their membership card (I don't remember the price. I think it is like $10 per year) but it took $15 off the price of the protein powder. So it was cheaper either way, even with the membership. So of course, we did it because who doesn't like saving money? Especially on something that seems ridiculous. So we did it. It was a very easy process, which I hoped it would be, but didn't expect it to me.
My mother wandered off at this point to browse and check out the store. As I was paying for what I needed, she had me go over to something she was looking at and discuss it. I think it was vitamin chews of some sort. Which they had samples of. So I grabbed one to try it. Now, this was in the middle of paying for the protein powder. So the employee was now stuck at the register waiting to complete the transaction. You would think she would be impatient to finish it and then let us wander. Nope, she was totally fine with it, and let us wander and discuss as we went. We came back to finish the transaction and it was just like we had never gotten distracted and left the register. She was more than patient with it and had a great attitude.
It's a store I will definitely be returning to and enjoy. I just bought some more protein powder today, because I've ended up using it along with my mother. She for meal replacement and me as a supplement to my workouts and weight loss. I've signed up for their emails and specials, which is one I actually read because I bought two canisters of the powder, one at the membership price, which is $15 off regular, and the second one at half off. It's one heck of a deal, and with two of us using it, it's perfect. It's also lasted a lot longer than I expected. So in all reality, it seems like a small fortune to spend at once, but it's absolutely worth the money, and it's a product I'll continue buying from this store. read more