“We are incredibly excited about joining the Max Muscle team and building upon the brand’s already strong history and loyal customer base,” says Van Heusen. “As specialists in our segment, we look forward to offering the highest quality line of sports nutrition products and athletic gear to local customers.”

While the store built its early reputation among bodybuilders and athletes looking to get huge - and much of the store’s branding and marketing still reflects this - Heusen, Jr. reports that most (51%) of his customers are women. Only about 4% of their clients are bodybuilders, and the store’s main demographics tend to be people looking to lose weight, get healthy, or boost athletic performance. With that in mind, Heusen and his staff have tailored their approach, and rather than attempt to sell supplements, they look instead to sell knowledge.