#226: Tom Reilly Returns with Grocery Wins and Creatine at VMI Sports

Tom Reilly, president of VMI Sports, returns for Episode #226 of the PricePlow Podcast, just five months after his debut on Episode #205. This time, Ben is joined by Spencer, PricePlow’s VP of Partnerships and Operations, who steps in for Mike and steers a big chunk of the conversation toward retail strategy. Tom walks through how VMI keeps winning grocery shelf space at Wegmans, Giant Eagle, and now Wakefern’s ShopRite banner, and why understanding vendor portals, credits, and shipping requirements matters as much as the formula itself. He also unveils VMI’s newest creatine lineup, teases an unnamed protein snack headed for shelves by late summer, and explains why the brand waited two years to find the right creatine gummy manufacturer. Along the way, Tom breaks down VMI’s GNC franchise partnerships, a new VP hire aimed at the beverage business, and the MAX Catalyst-powered formula behind KXR Stacked. Subscribe to the PricePlow Podcast on your favorite platform and sign up for VMI Sports alerts before diving in. https://blog.priceplow.com/podcast/tom-reilly-vmi-sports-226 Video: Tom Reilly of VMI Sports on Grocery Wins, New Creatine Launches, and What’s Next https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByrAxgt7kfk Detailed Show Notes: Tom Reilly and VMI Sports (0:00) – Introductions (0:45) – VMI’s 2026 Grocery and Gym Push (4:00) – Why Omnichannel Doesn’t Mean Everywhere (6:30) – Wegmans, HEB, and Regional Loyalty (8:15) – New SKUs Land on Wegmans’ Shelves (10:00) – Giant Eagle’s Full-Circle Kroger Reunion (11:45) – Supplements Take Over the Grocery Aisle (14:00) – What Understanding Grocery Really Means (17:00) – Sell-In vs. Sell-Through: The Credits Trap (19:30) – Vendor Portals and Retail’s Hidden Grind (22:15) – Cracking Wakefern and ShopRite (25:45) – A New Protein Snack Is Coming (28:30) – Dialing In the New Snack’s Macros (30:45) – 97% Approval and What Food Feedback Really Looks Like (33:15) – Three Creatine Launches in Three Months (36:30) – Inside the New Creatine Pre-Workout (38:30) – Creatine +Hydration Meets Aquamin (41:15) – Finding the Right Creatine Gummy Partner (44:15) – Solving the Creatine-to-Creatinine Problem (47:30) – Patriot Pop Gummies Hit Grocery Shelves (49:45) – Amazon’s Testing Rules and the Middleman Squeeze (53:00) – Why the Brick-and-Mortar Shakeout Was Healthy (56:15) – Inside VMI’s GNC Franchise Partnerships (1:01:00) – A New VP and the Beverage Roadmap (1:05:00) – Room to Grow in Pre-Workout RTDs (1:09:00) – MAX Catalyst and the KXR Stacked Formula (1:14:15) – Solving the Caffeine Goldilocks Problem (1:16:15) – Dre’s Rebrand and Shelf-Ready Labels (1:21:00) – Wrap-Up and Where to Find VMI Where to Follow and Learn More Connect with Tom Reilly and VMI Sports LinkedIn: Thomas Reilly LinkedIn: VMI Sports Instagram: @tom_vmisports …… Read more on the PricePlow Blog