Most stores take months to open, but this one needs only a couple of weeks

What a difference a week makes.

Dustin West said he meant it last week when he said the new Supplement World near 21st and Amidon would be the last Wichita store he and partner Jeff McAnarney did for a while.

Then a representative of Towne East Square called about the former GNC space there, and suddenly Supplement World is about to gets its fifth Wichita store.

“It’s pretty crazy how it worked out,” West said. “It was definitely nothing that we planned on.”

The chain, which sells vitamins and supplements, also has two stores in Oklahoma City.

West said he and McAnarney aren’t concerned about taking over a site that GNC left. The chain closed hundreds of stores last year as part of its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and West said the Towne East closure was related to that and not necessarily because of the store’s performance.

The space Supplement World is moving into is on the upper level just outside of Dillard’s and across from H&M.

West said GNC’s shelves and other fixtures remain, so it will be relatively easy to set up the new store. At least initially, there won’t be any renovations. He said he thinks it can open by March 1.

“The stars aligned with this deal,” West said. “It was really that good of a deal.”