Ritzman touts expertise in health care. (State of the Industry).(Ritzman Natural Health Pharmacies)(Brief Article)

WADSWORTH, Ohio -- It was out with the old and in with the new as 2001 came to a close at Ritzman Natural Health Pharmacies.

"One of the biggest changes occurred at the end of the year with the closing of our Hudson, Ohio, location and the purchase of another store in Akron -- both of these changes took place during the same week," notes Jon Fiume, vice president of retail operations and natural products. "The Hudson location once consisted of a traditional pharmacy and compounding laboratory and later transitioned to a health food store-only format.

"Subsequently the store size and operational costs -- coupled with a slowdown in sales growth -- prohibited us from remaining open."

Nevertheless, he adds, Ritzman is still committed to the natural products category, which overall is strong and is a crucial component of the company s business.

Ritzman's newest outlet …