Des Moines' Campbell's Nutrition Store Looking Good At 80 Years Old

DES MOINES, IA. -- The consumer’s idea of health food has changed a lot since Floyd Campbell opened a lunch counter in downtown Des Moines in 1937 and offered his customers carrot sandwiches, carrot juice and broccoli sandwiches. But Campbell’s Nutrition has remained a constant destination for health-conscious people in the Des Moines community. The business, located in the Uptown Shopping Center, will celebrate its 80th year with special activities on Saturday.

Campbell’s is Iowa’s oldest health food store and only recently learned it is the third oldest nationwide, owner Diane Lahodny said. She attributes the success of the business to the loyalty of her customers and her two dozen employees, who are dedicated to teaching others about health and nutrition.

"Just today I had a lady come in who told me she had been trading with Campbell’s for almost 70 years and remembered it when it was downtown,” Lahodny told Patch. “I have people who have been shopping here forever.”

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Lahodny, a native of Hawaii who originally came to Des Moines to attend Drake University, bought the business 30 years ago -- a time before customers sought probiotics, gluten-free foods and non-GMO products.

There also has been a change in perception of what a nutrition store is over the years, she said. “What I’ve seen in my tenure here is that people are more open to it. It used to be more a fringe group that shopped here. But today people are more educated, they want to be more healthy, and they have social media” to get tips and learn about trends in healthful living.

Part grocery, part vitamin and supplement business -- with a cafe as well -- the Des Moines store has expanded greatly in recent years and now offers products from more than 40 suppliers of organic produce, fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy products, meats and non-food items. Many are from Iowa.

Lahodny is the third owner of the business and also operates a store in Urbandale, although it doesn’t have the refrigerated grocery and cafe customers will find in Des Moines. She said although Floyd Campbell created the business, it was only a brief career for him, yet she never changed the name because within the industry Campbell’s is a recognized brand.

“Jack LaLanne was here and Arnold Schwarzenegger, back when he was into body-building, knew the name,” Lahodny told Patch. “The industry was small at that time, but they all knew what Campbell’s was and where we were.”

Lauren Hickman, the store’s supplement expert, said as the customer base continues to grow, she has been pleased to see Campbell’s bringing more options to people seeking a healthier lifestyle. The idea of health foods “has changed massively just in the last 20 years, with ‘certified organic’ and 'non-genetically- modified' being important,” she told Patch, “and the industry has changed dramatically, especially with Whole Foods and Fresh Thyme and other grocers coming to town. Despite all the big box stores moving into Des Moines, we’ve had growth.”

But she said while there are a number of places to buy fresh and healthy foods, shoppers at Campbell’s will also get personal attention, education on numerous dietary options and advice from people who have worked in the industry for as much as 20 years.

That hasn’t changed since Floyd Campbell opened his small store on Locust Street downtown.

“Mr. Campbell had a vision, or a foresight, when it came to selling supplements,” Hickman said. “He cared about people’s digestion in an era that told people ‘have canned food.’ If you change your eating, you change your health.”

Saturday's 80th Anniversary

Campbell’s Nutrition celebrates turning 80 years old from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 23, at the store, 4040 University Ave. in Des Moines. More than 30 vendors will be on hand. Guests will find:

• Product samples, tastings and demonstrations
• Drawings for a $1,000 Campbell’s shopping spree, a kayak from Wilderness Systems, a year’s supply of vitamins from Natural Factors and more
• Furry Friends Refuge will have an adoption event in the parking lot
• Information from Crossroads of Iowa, Iowa Rivers Revival and the Non-GMO Project
• A chance to win Luke Bryan concert tickets from 1 to 3 p.m.

Photos courtesy of Campbell's Nutrition