The Lanes Health story began over 90 years ago in 1930 with Gilbert Lane and his wife Grace, who founded the business.
Gilbert was a true pioneer and passionate about improving health and quality of life through a good diet and supplementation, using carefully selected plants and nutrients.
In all decisions and across all business areas, the company upholds a strong ethical code of respecting people and working for the good of the planet as it aims to build a sustainable, profitable and high performing business for the future.
Lanes Health has always had the ambition to grow its business and achieve its goals while always staying true to the principles that the company was built on.
Jonathan Groves, Executive Chairman at Lanes Health tells Grocery Trader what are the biggest challenges and opportunities presented by running a family business.
What lessons have Lanes Health learned about running a family business?
There are three main lessons we’ve learned. The first is around successfully investing in the business. Whilst as a family business, we already have the foundations of our company laid by the previous generations, it’s important to still drive innovation and investment into the business in order to propel it forward. For example, in 2023 we launched a sugar-free Jakemans in response to those actively looking to reduce their sugar intake, and we’ve got some exciting new flavours in the pipeline. We also recently launched our Pro Plus effervescent product for those looking for an alternative to tablets.
Secondly, it’s so important to invest in your team. Those doing the work on the ground and delivering our products to the customers are central to our business and we see each and every employee as a member of the Lanes Health family. A strong employer brand is how you attract and retain top talent who make all the difference to what you’re doing.
Finally, we’ve learned a lot about investing in our future. We are never afraid to innovate at Lanes Health, as what might have worked for our predecessors may not work now for the current business. Being able to adapt quickly to the landscape without external stakeholders causing hold-ups is a huge advantage of our family business, so it’s essential to make the most of it.
What are the biggest challenges of running a family business in today’s marketplace?
Running a family business in today’s dynamic marketplace presents unique challenges and opportunities. Navigating market nuances with import and export legislation, supply chain management, and shifting consumer demands means that businesses are constantly having to adapt to this ever-changing landscape. It can be tempting to compare your own business to large stakeholder companies and try to follow their ways of working. However, family businesses are at an advantage as, on average, they perform better than non-family businesses1, perhaps due to the agility they have for quicker decision making and being more able to adapt their business quickly to these changes.
And what are the biggest opportunities presented by running a family business?
The biggest opportunity within a family business is the ability to grow what’s already been built within your company over the years. The retained knowledge and experience passed down provides unrivalled insight which can help mould future decisions. That said, we still place an emphasis on investing back into the business in order to grow. Whilst it’s important to stay true to your roots – ensuring that your morals and company values remain the same – embracing change and investing in new technologies to keep up with supply and demand are key. It’s important not to be scared by change; that’s probably what made your business successful in the first place, because you were doing something different.
Additionally, family run businesses are at an advantage to be able to respond to customer needs and advance products in response to a change in demands, without the delays that companies reliant on external stakeholders might have.
What are the most important steps a family business can take to invest in its future?
Continuing to innovate. Adapting your service or product doesn’t mean changing your company’s ethos. Stay true to your values but embrace change.
Always put people first. Commit to your staff. If you look after them, they will look after you and allow you to retain talent that can take your business into the next phase. Equally, this will help attract new talent who bring strong skills into the operations.
Finally, look forward. Make sure you have a clear vision that drives the direction of your business. A clear shared goal is crucial to future success.
What targets does Lanes Health have in terms of growing turnover?
At Lanes Health our vision is clear: to become the UK’s leading family-owned supplier of branded household health products. We are committed to expanding our reach and impact while staying true to the principles that have guided us for more than nine decades. Our journey is one of continuous evolution, driven by a deep-seated belief in the power of health and wellbeing to transform lives.
What are your biggest brands that retailers should be stocking?
We have a wide range of respected OTC medicines, traditional herbal remedies, medical devices, foods and food supplements in our portfolio. Our brands consist of: Olbas, Jakemans, Kalms, Pro Plus, GOPO®, BlueIron, Earex, Sarakan and Teangi. UK Trade buyers can contact sales@laneshealth.com to discuss opportunities for distribution of our products.
How is the sugar-free Jakemans variant launched last year performing?
Our sugar free variant is performing well, and we have had a lot of interest from international partners too. We are also looking forward to developing and introducing some new flavours to the sugar free range too so watch this space!
And how is the Pro Plus effervescent product performing so far?
It’s really too early to say as it has literally only just gone out into the market but initial reactions from retailers and consumers is brilliant. We have had some great reviews online already and lots of people sharing social media content for the product. We are currently supporting the whole ProPlus range with an out of home advertising campaign, so word is spreading.
Do you have any other NPD to talk about?
In addition to our sugar-free Jakemans launched last year in response to those actively looking to reduce their sugar intake, we’ve got some exciting new flavours for the main range too in the pipeline but that’s all I’m saying for now!
What marketing support do you have for your brands?
For each brand we develop a tailored marketing support plan based on where the product currently sits in the market and what we want to achieve. However, our marketing support in general includes TV and radio advertising, OOH, PR and social media for our brands.
Comments are closed.