Village Vitality Hopes To Be Source of 'Honest Advice' About Healthy Living

Consumers in West Hartford and the surrounding area now have a new source for natural vitamins and supplements, skin care, and pet products. On Wednesday at 10 a.m., Village Vitality will have a soft opening at 982 Farmington Ave., the former site of Comina.

Owner Neal Smoller has a background as a pharmacist, but early in his career he became concerned about regulation of vitamins and other health food products.

"As a young pharmacist I realized I was chasing my tail off with traditional medicines," he said. After researching so-called healthy alternatives, however, he realized that many of them were "way worse."

Smoller knew that there were companies out there doing their due diligence – making sure that their products "are what they say they are" – and he set about figuring out the best way to find and deliver those products to the public.

Pharmacists, and other professionals, Smoller believes, are the best ones to give the type of advice needed by people who are looking to improve their health. He's concerned with providing true quality products, with claims backed up by evidence-based research, and delivered with a professional standard of care.

Smoller also owns two other stores in upstate New York, both of which include full pharmacies, but the West Hartford spot is the first standalone vitamin store. He didn't want to compete with independent pharmacies already in the area, and feels this model will work best here.

"West Hartford is a very intelligent community, focused on fitness and health," he said. Village Vitality can help "perfect and refine" that. 

At Village Vitality, consumers will receive consultative services about the best diets (no "dramatic changes" or quick fixes, said Smoller) and consolidated and science-based advice about supplements. The salespeople are trained professionals like Josh Boughton, Village Vitality's natural products director who has 12 years of experience in the industry and will be running the West Hartford store.

"People are looking to get and stay healthy," said Boughton. "They are looking for real advice, not just fads."

Natural and chemical-free skincare and body care products are also sold at Village Vitality, and the store has an in-house tea bar which offers herbal teas that are either medicinal or relaxants.

Customers can also purchase specialized pet foods and supplements, sold by staff trained directly in clinical veterinary nutrition who are skilled at making recommendations about diabetes, arthritis, and other common pet ailments.

"We live in a chemical soup," Smoller said. Village Vitality hopes to have at least a bit of a positive impact on that. "We set out to be a trusted advisor, do our homework, and keep the wolves at bay," he said.