Quest Bars: Moving in the Wrong Direction?

Btw people, I'm not trying to put down Quest. Just commenting on how they are now wholly putting their efforts (and marketing dollars) towards getting the mainstream market $$$, they could and should expand their lines to meet additional needs of a number of people. The stuff will sell entirely due to brand recognition.

mr.cooper69 said:
Quest doesn't sell that much volume at GNC. They operate through health food stores like Whole Foods
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In the past few months, they've virtually displaced all other 3rd party brand protein bars at GNC. They very obviously made a big move there (thus the reason I've been buying bars from VS now, because I can't even get MetRX bars at GNC anymore).
 
WHY ARE YOU SO OBSESSED WITH CARBS GOOD SIR???? You do realize that carbs are not an essential macro?
 
kissdadookie said:
When you need to get in a lot of carbs just to maintain on a daily basis, they become highly important.
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Everyone is different, and do what works for you, but it sounds like you are sedentary for a good portion of the day, and perhaps you are overemphasizing carbs?

I used to overvalue carbs until I realized you can get by with WAY less. I have days when I am active literally morning to night (I work a physical job) and I get maybe 50-80gs of carbs, but I compensate by consuming upwards of 400g of protein, and I get by fine. Again do what you need to, I just know re-evaluating my carb intake helped me greatly, maybe it can help you.
 
carmaf said:
Everyone is different, and do what works for you, but it sounds like you are sedentary for a good portion of the day, and perhaps you are overemphasizing carbs?

I used to overvalue carbs until I realized you can get by with WAY less. I have days when I am active literally morning to night (I work a physical job) and I get maybe 50-80gs of carbs, but I compensate by consuming upwards of 400g of protein, and I get by fine. Again do what you need to, I just know re-evaluating my carb intake helped me greatly, maybe it can help you.
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I need ~3400-3600 calories currently to maintain weight. I've actually had a 2 week stint where I displaced some carbs calories with fat calories, mainly because I really wanted to eat more salads for the sake of eating more salads (I didn't count the cals from vegetables). Started dropping weight really quick. My protein intake is pretty stable at ~180 grams a day. I also literally eat the same thing practically every day, takes the guess work out. When I change things out, I then have to reevaluate.

You're talking to a person that gets in near 100 grams of carbs and 50 grams of protein pre, intra, and post workout, yet if I don't eat in about an hour and half after that, I get low blood sugar symptoms.
 
Quest's entire business model is low carb, low sugar:
Invalid Link Removed

That's like their niche market. They make a low carb pasta. Low carb chips.
 
kissdadookie said:
Desk job. I already wake up at 4:20 in the morning and sleep at around 8:30 at night. Honestly don't have time to seriously cook. I use to cook though when I didn't train so much (I'm basically doing the amount of work as 2 a days every morning, then work, then home, eat, clean the place a little, shower, and hour or so later, sleep).

I also work Saturdays. Sundays are reserved for chores.
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Get a rice cooker and slow cooker. You can do your chores while your meat and rice cook. Pack meals 8 hours later. It takes 30 minutes.
 
Quadzilla99 said:
Quest's entire business model is low carb, low sugar:
Invalid Link Removed

That's like their niche market. They make a low carb pasta. Low carb chips.
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I, along with 3 or 4 others have already stated this. Kiss will still say well they need a high carb option.
 
Quadzilla99 said:
Quest's entire business model is low carb, low sugar:
Invalid Link Removed

That's like their niche market. They make a low carb pasta. Low carb chips.
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That really doesn't explain how they've basically wiped out all other protein bars out of GNC. I highly doubt that the GNC clientele are even aware that Quest is the low XYX brand.

Quest is making big moves recently, it's not like that they are being coy about it. They've really outgrown the market they started in at this point (props to them though).
 
kissdadookie said:
Not really a lot of options on the market for high carbs tbh. Majority of the high cal bars don't have a lot of carbs and their calories are mostly coming from fats. The carbs they do have tend to be sugar alcohols. Including Fit Crunch.

That's why I've been eating just MetRX 100 bars. But I've been through like 7 boxes now, there's only so much of the two readily available flavours I can handle. LoL.
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If your resorting to a bar to try and get a high caloric approach in the end you will be losing money compared to easier and cheaper whole food options, but thats just me. Even with your schedule ... bagels, trail mix, granola, banana's, dried fruits, cereal's, rice cakes are things you can easily take with you and eat on the side at your desk job and have a quest bar to help raise the kcals and also not break the bank at the same time trying to buy "convenience" or just make a PB&J and stock them at work

A lot of the things i cook in bulk are tasty, and do not require much cooking. If i make something like a baked goods, i can cook 5-6 chicken breasts, and also stove top rice to last me 2-3 days at a minimum or instead of rice boil a huge batch of potatoes and just cut them up and then weigh out what i need when cooked. I am up at 4:30 everyday too, but go to sleep a lot later (11ish)
 
kissdadookie said:
I need ~3400-3600 calories currently to maintain weight. I've actually had a 2 week stint where I displaced some carbs calories with fat calories, mainly because I really wanted to eat more salads for the sake of eating more salads (I didn't count the cals from vegetables). Started dropping weight really quick. My protein intake is pretty stable at ~180 grams a day. I also literally eat the same thing practically every day, takes he guess work out. When I change things out, I then have to reevaluate.
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Hey like I said, do what works for you. I'm nowhere close to an expert on this, and I know even a few years ago I used to HAVE to get a lot of carbs in or else I felt like ****. You sound like you prob have lower BF than me(dropping weight FAST without carbs) so you need to be more calculated in your approach. Only thing I could suggest is try going to the 250-400g protein range, but then again I know that is hard for a lot of ppl (I'm a big boy and I also have an insatiable appetite for meat so it's easy for me to say).

I used to think BCAA's were garbage(and I still think they are useless and overrated in MANY situations), until I started taking them at work. I used to eat tuna, subs, sandwiches whatever, it never worked energy wise. I started drinking BCAAs at work with fruits I can eat on the go (apples, bananas, pears etc.), and I can do hours upon hours with no food, so maybe that is something to think about as well.

Not to be a SHILL and the PES fanboy ppl know me to be, but the only BCAA I can vouch for is AminoIV. But, I have bought samples of Xtend and Aminocore just to try. I can't find another with HICA though(except COR but that is WAY too expensive so **** that), so can't see myself going to those other 2. Keep in mind I still think BCAAs are very overrated, and extremely situational. If I didn't need them for work, I wouldn't buy them at all or maybe just 1 tub that lasts me months as a sweet drink replacement here and there. Anyways, just don't die from this insane schedule plz.
 
The Solution said:
If your resorting to a bar to try and get a high caloric approach in the end you will be losing money compared to easier and cheaper whole food options, but thats just me. Even with your schedule ... bagels, trail mix, granola, banana's, dried fruits, cereal's, rice cakes are things you can easily take with you and eat on the side at your desk job and have a quest bar to help raise the kcals and also not break the bank at the same time trying to buy "convenience" or just make a PB&J and stock them at work
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Believe it or not, the bars are the most cost effective. LOL. For me at least ;) Not saying everyone should take this approach.
 
kissdadookie said:
Believe it or not, the bars are the most cost effective. LOL. For me at least ;) Not saying everyone should take this approach.
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I don't know why everyone has their panties in a bunch. YES Quest is known for low carb/low cal, but I don't see how it would automatically mean RIP QUEST if they released ONE product in their line that was not low cal/low carb. I was joking about the obsession with carbs bc I pictured you rolling around in a sea of pasta screaming "I LOVE CARBS!", and I don't play the meal replacement game myself, but there is a market for that stuff and Quest will prob venture into that market one day as well once they become the juggernaut they are on route to becoming. Every big company diversifies.
 
if you are eating over 3000 kcals
box of quest bars are 24$

i can get 36 eggs for 4$
a sleeve of bagels for 2$
a jar of peanut butter for 2$
a gallon of milk for 4$
a box of rice for 2$
assorted veggeis 4$


now you tell me what is cheaper?
 
The Solution said:
if you are eating over 3000 kcals
box of quest bars are 24$

i can get 36 eggs for 4$
a sleeve of bagels for 2$
a jar of peanut butter for 2$
a gallon of milk for 4$
a box of rice for 2$
assorted veggeis 4$


now you tell me what is cheaper?
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Do you not factor in time? Time is important to me actually. To you, it might not be a lot of time, for me with the limited time I have, it's actually a lot of time.
 
Crockpot 5 minutes for instant rice
bagels = 0 time
assorted veggies you could microwave and put in tupperware
eggs = a few minutes
peanut butter = 0 time
milk = 0 time

i know you have 30 minutes a day you could cook food. if not stay up 30 minutes later instead of going to bed with the 5th graders :)

i am up just as early as you and go to bed almost 3 hours later, if you want to make time you will. even working 60 hours a week + Side gigs you have to sacrifice 30 minutes i doubt it will kill you. But thats me..

Spend your money as you wish.
 
One more thing. You guys are acting like Quest WANTS to make low cal/low carb products. That's just their CURRENT niche. They want to make one thing: MONEY. Doing that has made them money so far, but that doesn't mean they won't add in a product contrary to the others in their line if they can make money off it. Quest has/is crossing over, and they WILL sell out. MusclePharm used to sell stuff marketed to the UFC crowd exclusively with names like ASSAULT and COMBAT, but now they are literally trying to sell everything under the sun, to everyone. Quest will do the same. Once you have a big brand, people just look at the brand. That's why brand recognition is so important, bc it creates a mental heuristic so people buy without thinking. Ppl here were even saying, the bars are going "downhill". Does that stop anyone from buying them?

WE ALL GONNA DIE ANYWAYS SO WHO CARES
 
The Solution said:
Crockpot 5 minutes for instant rice
bagels = 0 time
assorted veggies you could microwave and put in tupperware
eggs = a few minutes
peanut butter = 0 time
milk = 0 time

i know you have 30 minutes a day you could cook food. if not stay up 30 minutes later instead of going to bed with the 5th graders :)

i am up just as early as you and go to bed almost 3 hours later, if you want to make time you will. even working 60 hours a week + Side gigs you have to sacrifice 30 minutes i doubt it will kill you. But thats me..

Spend your money as you wish.
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Shop, prep, cook, clean dishes, etc. Time bro, time. LoL. I mean I sometimes just pass out into a nap for an hour shortly after I get home, then when I wake up, go to bed less than an hour later after that. LoL. Which is about now, friggin exhausted. :P
 
Just eat like a nutrigrain bar or any of kashi cereal bars in the cereal aisle alongside a quest bar then for extra carbs. Not complicated I mean it would require carrying two bars but I think you could handle it.
 
kissdadookie said:
Shop, prep, cook, clean dishes, etc. Time bro, time. LoL. I mean I sometimes just pass out into a nap for an hour shortly after I get home, then when I wake up, go to bed less than an hour later after that. LoL. Which is about now, friggin exhausted. :P
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probably so tired from that malnutrition off eating nothing but protein bars :)
 
kissdadookie said:
Btw people, I'm not trying to put down Quest. Just commenting on how they are now wholly putting their efforts (and marketing dollars) towards getting the mainstream market $$$, they could and should expand their lines to meet additional needs of a number of people. The stuff will sell entirely due to brand recognition.
Click to expand...

How do you know this?. Were you in their office meeting when their marketing strategy was being discussed?. Or do they just email you to discuss where they want to focus marketing efforts?
 
kissdadookie said:
Btw people, I'm not trying to put down Quest. Just commenting on how they are now wholly putting their efforts (and marketing dollars) towards getting the mainstream market $$$, they could and should expand their lines to meet additional needs of a number of people. The stuff will sell entirely due to brand recognition.



In the past few months, they've virtually displaced all other 3rd party brand protein bars at GNC. They very obviously made a big move there (thus the reason I've been buying bars from VS now, because I can't even get MetRX bars at GNC anymore).
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You're missing the point. Quest is a big seller for GNC. But GNC does not move many quest bars at all relative to the health food titans. Quest has expanded well, well, well beyond the small consumer population that shops at GNC. We're talking loads of volume at the busiest supermarkets in the nation, like whole foods as I mentioned
 
carmaf said:
One more thing. You guys are acting like Quest WANTS to make low cal/low carb products. That's just their CURRENT niche. They want to make one thing: MONEY. Doing that has made them money so far, but that doesn't mean they won't add in a product contrary to the others in their line if they can make money off it. Quest has/is crossing over, and they WILL sell out. MusclePharm used to sell stuff marketed to the UFC crowd exclusively with names like ASSAULT and COMBAT, but now they are literally trying to sell everything under the sun, to everyone. Quest will do the same. Once you have a big brand, people just look at the brand. That's why brand recognition is so important, bc it creates a mental heuristic so people buy without thinking. Ppl here were even saying, the bars are going "downhill". Does that stop anyone from buying them?

WE ALL GONNA DIE ANYWAYS SO WHO CARES
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Exactly. Why would Quest deviate from the market that it's dominating?
 
kissdadookie said:
That really doesn't explain how they've basically wiped out all other protein bars out of GNC. I highly doubt that the GNC clientele are even aware that Quest is the low XYX brand.

Quest is making big moves recently, it's not like that they are being coy about it. They've really outgrown the market they started in at this point (props to them though).
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Enough with GNC! Lol dude. And you're actually wrong about this, ALL YOU FIND in GNC bars-wise is this new generation of high fiber, low calorie bars. Many, many consumers are aware that protein bars used to be just high protein candy bars, so low carbs actually are the "thing" (i.e. promax low sugar, supreme protein carb concious, etc).

Sorry KDD but you're wrong on virtually all counts in this argument. The bar industry might not be your thing :D
 
kissdadookie said:
I need ~3400-3600 calories currently to maintain weight. I've actually had a 2 week stint where I displaced some carbs calories with fat calories, mainly because I really wanted to eat more salads for the sake of eating more salads (I didn't count the cals from vegetables). Started dropping weight really quick. My protein intake is pretty stable at ~180 grams a day. I also literally eat the same thing practically every day, takes the guess work out. When I change things out, I then have to reevaluate.

You're talking to a person that gets in near 100 grams of carbs and 50 grams of protein pre, intra, and post workout, yet if I don't eat in about an hour and half after that, I get low blood sugar symptoms.
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This is obvious. Dropping carbs will always result in losing weight, since carbs act as an osmolyte in tissue, be it glycogen or whathaveyou. This is why people lose weight so rapidly on keto.

If you actually go hypoglycemic 1.5 hours after 100g carbs, you have a medical condition (srs) and should be examined by an endocrinologist
 
T-Bone said:
How do you know this?. Were you in their office meeting when their marketing strategy was being discussed?. Or do they just email you to discuss where they want to focus marketing efforts?
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They took over GNC. Can't even find much other bars regardless of them being high carbs or low carbs, high cals or low cals. They also have major displays for Quest at the front of the store now. Started noticing this in the summer then in the past few months, other bars more or less vanished from GNC brick and mortars.

This happens typically in stores because a brand essentially pushes for it with some strong $$$ behind the push.

Maybe the trend is now low carbs and low cal bars, still doesn't explain how other such bars have virtually vanished from the brick and mortar GNCs. This by the way has not occurred with VS stores.

Kudos to Quest though, they are running a good business.
 
taken over?

Supreme bars are everywhere
met rX bars are everywhere
Lenny and Larry's
GNC's own bars
Supreme Protein bars
Atkins Bars
BPI Funnbar
Muscle Meds
Chef Irvine
Promax
ISS Oh Yeah Bars
Power Crunch
Pure Protein
Gourmet Cheesecake bars too

I could keep going on.
Quest does not make up the majority of GNC for protein bars.
 
mr.cooper69 said:
Exactly. Why would Quest deviate from the market that it's dominating?
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Because all companies do once they get big enough, and Quest is getting BIG....bigger than Powerbar ever was BIG. They can dominate their base market while still expanding into others just fine, as long as they don't go too far with the OG bars like this thread has mentioned. Subway used to just sell Subs. Now they sell Falafels and pizzas and whatever the **** they want really. There are exceptions, some companies just do one thing really well and never deviate, but Quest is releasing too much ****(clothing now, the powder etc.), so it looks like they won't be sticking to just bars anytime soon.
 
AntM1564 said:
GNC also carries Victory Bars, Met-Rx, Kind, NuGo, various protein cookies and brownies

Edit - and the Gourmet Cheesecake bars too
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The Solution said:
taken over?

Supreme bars are everywhere
met rX bars are everywhere
Lenny and Larry's
GNC's own bars
Supreme Protein bars
Atkins Bars
BPI Funnbar
Muscle Meds
Chef Irvine
Promax
ISS Oh Yeah Bars
Power Crunch
Pure Protein
Gourmet Cheesecake bars too

I could keep going on.
Quest does not make up the majority of GNC for protein bars.
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Not in the NYC market. When was the last time you went INTO a GNC store rather than look at what they have online?

It appears that many of you are assuming things GNC carries IN there stores rather than actually stepping foot in one to check it out in person. Either that or the NYC market is very different from whatever market your GNCs are in? (btw, GNCs are basically one on every few blocks in NYC, VS stores I honestly have to go out of my way to get to).
 
bananaClip said:
theres as many vitamin shoppe in the city as gnc if not more

who even buys from them
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In NYC? Not even close. GNC is like 3-4 stores to every one VS.

But like you pointed out, people on the boards obviously don't shop at these stores, the mainstream consumer however does.
 
definitely not 3-4 times more
if u can make it to gnc u can make to vitamin shoppe really all depends on where u going or where u coming from
 
kissdadookie said:
Not in the NYC market. When was the last time you went INTO a GNC store rather than look at what they have online?

It appears that many of you are assuming things GNC carries IN there stores rather than actually stepping foot in one to check it out in person. Either that or the NYC market is very different from whatever market your GNCs are in? (btw, GNCs are basically one on every few blocks in NYC, VS stores I honestly have to go out of my way to get to).
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I was in store about 3 weeks ago and live in CT.
 
kissdadookie said:
Not in the NYC market. When was the last time you went INTO a GNC store rather than look at what they have online?

It appears that many of you are assuming things GNC carries IN there stores rather than actually stepping foot in one to check it out in person. Either that or the NYC market is very different from whatever market your GNCs are in? (btw, GNCs are basically one on every few blocks in NYC, VS stores I honestly have to go out of my way to get to).
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so you are telling me i do not walk into a GNC
man you must be so busy you know my life and my decisions better than myself.
 
The Solution said:
so you are telling me i do not walk into a GNC
man you must be so busy you know my life better than I know myself.

Carry on...
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LoL. Was making an assumption, apologies if it was an incorrect assumption. Perhaps the GNCs in your market are currently different from the GNCs in the NYC market?

Because the bars you mentioned in your list, majority of them are not stocked on the GNC shelves here and in the instances that they are, there may be 1-2 boxes of them (and only a very select few).
 
I do not live in NYC
but to make an assumption based off your location to the thousands of other stores makes it very illogical.

kissdadookie said:
LoL. Was making an assumption, apologies if it was an incorrect assumption. Perhaps the GNCs in your market are currently different from the GNCs in the NYC market?
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The Solution said:
I do not live in NYC
but to make an assumption based off your location to the thousands of other stores makes it very illogical.
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Is it though? NYC market I wouldn't be surprised to be taking up a large portion of GNC's in-store sales. I mean, literally, just in the ~10 block radius here around where I work, there's roughly 5-6 GNCs, two of them literally being a block's distance away from each other.

My home neighborhood, there's literally 2 GNCs ~4 blocks away from each other. LoL. I don't even live in the borough of Manhattan, this is Queens we are talking about here.
 
bananaClip said:
hahaha... there is no more gnc than vitamin shoppe in queens n there isnt 3-4 times more gnc in the city either
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Yes there are, moreso in Manhattan yes, but in Queens, just in my neighborhood, 2 GNCs ~4 blocks away from each other, 1 VS.

Unless you live DEEP in Queens, which I can understand, but that's practically suburban territory at that point.

Btw, according to VS store locator, NYC has it appears to be 10 or so, maybe 12 VS stores. In the 10 block vicinity by my office alone, there's 5-6 GNCs.

Granted, the VS store locator on their site seems to be wonky, but if you look at Manhattan alone, it's laughable compared to the number of GNCs.

Just found a better way to find this chit, go to bing maps and search for VS (full name though) new york city. Now do the same for GNC. One gives you a few dots, the other lights up like a x-mas tree.

The VS in my neighborhood also appears to be ONE out of apparently FOUR VS stores in Queens going by this Bing map. LoL. There's over 12 (stopped counting at 12) for GNC in Queens.
 
At the end of the day, none of this matters because GNC isn't Quest's main market. Now we are arguing semantics (and please don't say we're not, this is like the definition of a semantic argument :D)
 
mr.cooper69 said:
At the end of the day, none of this matters because GNC isn't Quest's main market. Now we are arguing semantics (and please don't say we're not, this is like the definition of a semantic argument :D)
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Nah, topic has now moved on to the VS to GNC ratio in NYC :D
 
mr.cooper69 said:
Quest doesn't sell that much volume at GNC. They operate through health food stores like Whole Foods
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My Whole Foods doesn't even carry Quest Bars. I primarily see them at Emerald City Smoothie, Super Supplements, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, etc. Rarely can I find them at grocery stores. I've seen a small selection at Albertsons, but that's about it.
 
1 More Repp said:
My Whole Foods doesn't even carry Quest Bars. I primarily see them at Emerald City Smoothie, Super Supplements, Vitamin Shoppe, GNC, etc. Rarely can I find them at grocery stores. I've seen a small selection at Albertsons, but that's about it.
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Second this. Lots of Chef Rob and Cliff Bars at WH/TJoe's but no quest and I frequent both at least 2-3 times a week.

I do not understand why everyone's getting their panties in a bunch over a simple request for a high carb (albeit maybe low-fat) SKU? Just like Met-RX has both fiber-enriched bars and almost pure sugar bars (think: BIG-100), why can't QUEST? QUEST caters to the keto/low carb crowd (don't get me started on these clowns), and even those on PSMF, but what's so wrong about expanding their business line to include a high-carb "pre-workout" type bar? This doesn't take away from their brand and if anything gives them some competition against some of the other crap that's out there.
 
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