Expert advice: pay more, get more. (savvyshopper).(Steve Lankford says that supplements at his Family Nutrition Centers' are priced higher because of higher quality)

Steve Lankford hears the question at least once a week: "Why are your supplements more expensive than those I can buy at Wal-Mart?"

And every time he hears the question, he wants to scream.

But being the good businessman that he is, Lankford--owner of two Family Nutrition Center stores in Green Bay, Wisconsin--puts on his game face and answers politely.

Not all supplements--even basic vitamins-are created equal, he says patiently.

Then he points to a label and explains the details: High-quality products don't contain artificial dyes; they're not packed with unnecessary filler material; they're made to be easily absorbed by the body; and every ingredient is there for a reason.

Finally, he looks the customer in the eye and delivers his most convincing line: "Is there anything that you buy where the cheapest, lowest-quality product is also the best?"

That usually gets his point across. Specialty nutrition and natural products stores sell higher-priced supplements for a very good reason--because they provide the best nutritional quality available. Equally as important, specialty stores provide the expertise and information consumers need to help them make decisions. You won't find a clerk at the super-center discount store--or even a pharmacist at the grocery store--who will be able to explain to you, for example, if the fillers in your vitamin tablets contain animal by-products.