Olly (company)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Vitamin supplements |
| Founded | 2013 |
| Founder | Eric Ryan, Brad Harrington |
| Headquarters | San Francisco , United States |
Area served | United States |
| Products | Vitamin supplements, gummy vitamins, softgels |
| Parent | Unilever |
Olly (presented as OLLY), also referred to as Olly Nutrition and Olly Public Benefit, is a vitamin supplement enterprise based in the United States.
History
Eric Ryan, the founder of Olly, sold his previous company, Method, to Ecover in 2012.
The year 2013 marked the establishment of Olly. The following year, Ryan partnered with Target on an environmentally conscious product initiative but found the health and wellness section uninspiring and outdated. Ryan characterized this aisle as "outmoded and populated by uninspiring brands and average products." Together with co-founder Brad Harrington, Ryan recalled interactions with customers in a Boulder, Colorado store who inquired about zinc dosages. This feedback motivated them to develop a vitamin brand that simplifies supplement choices while focusing on the "end benefit rather than individual components." The company primarily aims at the millennial market.
Following discussions with Target leadership, Ryan and Harrington created Olly. Its initial launch in April 2015 featured 20 products exclusively available at Target locations. The business reached its break-even point within its first year. Initially prioritizing physical retail outlets over e-commerce, Olly later expanded its presence to include retailers such as GNC, CVS, and Albertsons. In 2019, Unilever acquired the brand.
In 2021, Olly's headquarters in San Francisco was honored with a San Francisco Design Week award recognizing excellence in Interior Design.
Manufacturing and packaging
Olly emphasizes delivering perceived benefits by blending supplements instead of marketing single ingredients. Ryan intended to create a user-friendly brand experience by choosing square-shaped containers and gummy vitamins rather than conventional pill bottles or tablets. Although gummies represent the majority of their offerings, some products are available as softgels. The name "Olly" was selected to avoid sounding either too pharmaceutical or excessively homespun. The packaging is vibrant and features a smiley face incorporated into the letter O, highlighting benefits like "Restful Sleep" rather than listing particular ingredients such as melatonin. According to Harrington, Olly vitamins contain relatively higher sugar content—up to 4 grams—to promote consistent daily consumption. Manufacturing primarily takes place in Indiana, with additional production facilities located in Florida.
Reception and sales
By 2016, women accounted for 80% of Olly's customer base, with the women's multivitamin ranking as the second most popular product. The sleep aid remains Olly's best-selling item and also holds the top sales position in its category at Target. By 2018, annual revenues for Olly had exceeded $100 million. Celebrity hairstylist Christian Wood has mentioned Olly as a favored hair supplement brand. Ryan has earned recognition as an innovator disrupting traditional markets, with Harrington highlighting his talent for identifying categories primed for transformation within large retailers such as Target.