Low Carb Luxury Teams With National Merchants to Bring a "Good Guy" Approach to the Low Carb Industry.
Low Carb Luxury, America's leading low carb consumer website, announced its partnership today with industry retail pioneers CarbSmart, Low Carb Connoisseur, and Low Carb Dieters. They've formed an alliance called FTB: Low Carb Partnership ("FTB" stands for "from the beginning"). Their goal is to bring integrity and truth to the marketing, release, and labeling of low carb specialty products.
(PRWEB) August 9, 2004
XENIA, OH (PRWEB) August 9, 2004 –– Low Carb Luxury, America's leading low carb consumer website, announced its partnership today with industry retail pioneers CarbSmart, Low Carb Connoisseur, and Low Carb Dieters. They've formed an alliance called FTB: Low Carb Partnership ("FTB" stands for "from the beginning"). Their goal is to bring integrity and truth to the marketing, release, and labeling of low carb specialty products.
Today, after a honeymoon between press and low carb product manufacturers, there are hard questions being asked: Where is the future of low carb? Is the trend dying down? Are products being scaled back? Are smaller merchants falling by the wayside?
Lora Ruffner, founder of Low Carb Luxury, says that "If the answer is yes to these questions, there's one reason more powerful than any others: the introduction of a landslide of products purporting to be low or zero carb that simply aren't. Many of these products are made up of exaggerated amounts of white flour, trans fats, sugar alcohols, and 'magical ingredients.' And while their slick marketing may cause these items to fly from the shelves at first, their lifespan should be short because regular consumption of these products will doom most dieters to certain failure."
Low Carb Luxury was created in 1999 as a way for Ruffner to help educate the public about the benefits of lowered carbohydrate eating plans –– a mission they continue to this day. Earlier this year, Low Carb Luxury incorporated, and long-time associate Neil Beaty became President of the company. Together, Beaty and Ruffner saw a need to bring greater visibility to the truths and myths about low carb diets, and to make companies specializing in this niche remain accountable for their marketing practices.
"As the low carb lifestyle receives more and more media exposure, the need for accountability has grown," stated Beaty. "Consumers who are reading labels, doing their research, and taking a more responsible look at their low carb approach will see through the 'extreme' labeling. The quick buck manufacturers will only serve to fuel the fad, not the long-term trend."
A number of merchants who make up the grassroots beginnings of this now thriving niche market are also taking a stand asking for across the board responsibility to the consumer and truth in marketing and labeling.
"We hope that other retailers and manufacturers will join with us as we strive to promote accountability for the products that are being marketed to the low carb consumer", said Elaine Payne of Low Carb Connoisseur. "We must realize that we have a duty to protect the bond of trust that we as responsible retailers have with our customers. If we simply put profits first, the dieter will suffer in the short term and the industry will most definitely suffer in the long run."
"In the last year, hundreds of companies have entered the low carb market looking to get rich" said Andrew DiMino, President of CarbSmart. "The problem is that many of the new products are being called "low carb" even though they contain sugar and white flour."
The founding retail members of the FTB Low Carb Partnership have been selling low carb products for at least five years. They offer their customers a sense of trust and reassurance that their products are good quality and truly support their low carb lifestyle.
According to Brett Railey, founder of Low Carb Dieters, "We entered this business first as successful low carb dieters who benefited from Dr. Atkins' life’s work. Unfortunately, there's been a flood of new products hitting the shelf designed only with the quick dollar in mind, rather than the consumer's real goals." Railey says he "...fears this means the uninformed dieter will not lose the weight they seek, and will see the low-carb diet as a failure, rather than placing the blame where it truly lies –– on misleading product claims."
It's the goal of the FTB Low Carb Partnership to enlist the support of other retailers and merchants who care about the future of low carb and want to "clean up" the problems that now plague the industry. FTB plans to be "The Good Guys." The FTB Low Carb Partnership website is located at http://www. lowcarbftb. com (http://www. lowcarbftb. com)
ABOUT LOW CARB LUXURY:
Http://www. lowcarbluxury. com (http://www. lowcarbluxury. com)
Founded in 1999, and based in Dayton, Ohio, Low Carb Luxury is a consumer-focused website that currently serves more than 1.7 million user sessions per day. Their popular online magazine boasts over 97,000 subscribers and continues to grow. Low Carb Luxury's most popular feature remains their Product Spotlight, where a team of reviewers rate low carb products to help readers make smarter buying decisions. On behalf of the audience they represent, they are an active voice in consumer affairs, and often act as a liaison between industry and the public.
Contact for Low Carb Luxury, Inc.:
Lora L. Ruffner, CEO
Neil E. Beaty, President
1209 East Dayton-Yellow Springs Rd.
Suite 213
Fairborn, OH 45324
937.376.3835
ABOUT CARBSMART:
Http://www. carbsmart. com (http://www. carbsmart. com)
Since 1999, CarbSmart has been providing a wide variety of products for those people following the low carb lifestyle. CarbSmart maintains both an online shopping store, and a retail location in Huntington Beach, California. They strive to be a consumer's one-stop shopping source for products for the low carb lifestyle and pride themselves on customer service. The "CarbSmart" name is currently licensed to Breyer's Ice Cream for their lower carb versions of ice cream products, and to Bayer Healthcare for a line of One-A-Day Multivitamin/Multimineral supplements, as well as to Monterey Pasta Company for a line of reduced carbohydrate refrigerated, fresh pastas and sauces.
Contact for CarbSmart, Inc.:
Andrew S. DiMino, President
1335 Greg Street, Suite 106
Sparks, NV 89431
775.356.1144
ABOUT LOW CARB CONNOISSEUR:
Http://www. low-carb. com (http://www. low-carb. com)
Founded in 1997, Low Carb Connoisseur was one of America's first low carb specialty stores online. In 1999, they opened their first Brick and Mortar store in Anderson, South Carolina –– Connoisseur Cafe & Market. It is a full service Low Carb store offering their complete line of products, as well as diet support. In 2000, they opened their second retail location in Greenville, South Carolina.
Contact for Low Carb Connoisseur, LLC:
Elaine Payne, President
1520 E. Greenville Street
Anderson, SC 29621
888.339.2477
ABOUT LOW CARB DIETERS:
Http://www. lowcarbdieters. com (http://www. lowcarbdieters. com)
The Low Carb Dieter's Page was founded in 1997 as a business dedicated to providing a varied selection of low carb products and the highest degree of customer service. Six years after becoming a successful online retailer, they took the step of becoming a full retail store in Orlando, Florida under the name “Low Carb Grocery” and offer a wide array of products to those visiting the store. They are the proud "parents" of the Low Carb Chef line of products and distribute The Low Carb Chef line to the industry out of their Orlando warehouse.
Contact for Low Carb Dieters:
Brett C. Railey, President
2806 Corrine Drive
Orlando, FL 32803
407.894.5070
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