How do we at Mastel's choose the products we carry?
1. Quality
At Mastel’s we pride ourselves on stocking high quality products and respected brands in the alternative health and natural foods industry, such as Gaia Herbs, Nordic Naturals and MegaFood. We research new products to find out about the source of raw materials, manufacturing practices and ingredients. We also work with a number of trusted sales representatives who provide us with detailed information about their products. This means we can get data on third-party testing of raw materials and final products, source information on raw materials and detailed information about manufacturing facilities. Most of this information is also available directly to consumers. Did you know that you can trace the source of the herbs in a Gaia product on their website to find out where and when the ingredients were grown? Or that you can call Nordic Naturals and receive third-party testing data on the bottle of fish oil you are taking? We strongly believe in working with companies that adhere to high quality standards, and are willing to share information with the public.
2. Customer Demand
Many of the products lining our shelves have earned their place because of customer request. If you are interested in a particular product, don’t be afraid to ask. We often do special orders, and with enough consistent demand, we usually start carrying the requested product on our shelves. If we think something is a new fad, we do some digging to find out if all the claims are well founded before we decide to stock it. Sometimes products simply aren’t available to us, either because we can’t meet minimum ordering quantities from a company, or because the line is not sold to retailers. If that’s the case, we do our best to find something similar for you. Many products have appeared on our shelves based on customer request: Joia natural soda, Heather’s Tummy Care acacia fiber, and Skin by Ann Webb Coconut Water Skin Cleanser are just a few examples!
3. Variety
For years, Mastel’s has been known for stocking hard to find items. It’s important to us to carry not only well-known, reputable brands, but to also support small companies, new businesses and innovative or unique products. We pay attention to industry magazines, attend conferences and our staff members read voraciously about alternative health and wellness. We try to carry a balance of the big name brands our customers are looking for, as well as unique products that only a few might have heard about, as we try to support the growth of our booming natural health industry. At last count, we stock over 4000 items!
At Mastel’s we really do believe that quality and customer service are essential, and this has a huge impact on how we select products for our shelves. Our team puts a lot of thought, discussion and research into maintaining an excellent and well-rounded selection that we can be proud to offer.
