The Supply Side: Opu probiotics is headed to Walmart shelves

Tiffany Krumins, a cancer survivor and “Shark Tank” alumnus, faced a big challenge in 2020 when she lost her mom, Patricia Dunsha. It was Dunsha, a nurse by trade, who worked to help Krumins with her chronic digestive issues following several rounds of radiation.

“My mom was the one to discover that my gut problems related to a lack of bacteria needed to aid in digestion,” Krumins said. “She focused on the spore-forming probiotic Bacillus subtilis, which was only available in powder form. I had to order online and mix a massive amount of the powder into milk or yogurt, but it worked. It fixed four years of digestive issues I had after cancer and the treatments.”

Following the death of Krumins’ mom, she and her dad, Brian Dunsha, who was also looking for a new challenge, decided to launch their own probiotic with Bacillus subtilis in an easier-to-take formula. They did not want capsules or gummies but a formula that dissolves on the tongue and begins to work immediately.

“We said if the stars lined up for us, we’d give it a go,” she said. “I really had never planned to start another business. I worked with Barbara Corcoran from ‘Shark Tank,’ who invested in my product [a singing elephant-shaped medicine dispenser for children] for seven years beginning in 2009. That business nearly killed me. Shoddy manufacturing in China, money lost on chargebacks, and shipping challenges made it brutal. We got the product into 20,000 retail stores very fast and had to play catch-up. We eventually sold the business.”

She said the Opu duo found that a top probiotics manufacturer was located in their home state of Georgia. Manufacturing close to home was the first star to line up, she said.

Working with the manufacturer, Krumins developed a dissolvable powder solution that is sprinkled on the tongue with no water needed. The packets are individually wrapped and packed into a box of 30. The packaging partner is also located in Georgia.

Aside from the powder in mint and mocha flavors, Krumins developed a chocolate, which is made in Florida, that also contains a daily dose of the healthy gut bacteria to aid in digestion.

Krumins said they wanted to start small and build a direct-to-consumer business before they pitched to retail. The product is named Opu, which is pronounced O-POO. She said it’s all about the healthy poo habits that can be achieved with the product.

There is nothing like Opu on the market in the individually packaged powder form or the chocolate, according to Brian Dunsha. He said the company is working on a reformulation of the chocolate with a higher melting point needed for shipping to hot climates. The 30-day supply of dissolvable probiotics costs about $34 on Amazon.

Walmart’s price will be slightly lower, but the exact price has not yet been determined. Krumins has also been active on social commerce with TikTok Shops, educating the younger audience about the benefits of probiotics to aid digestion.

“I just tell it like it is, facts and straight to the point, and it’s resonating with the younger audience on TikTok and helping to grow our direct-to-consumer business,” Krumins said.

PITCHING AT RETAIL
Krumins and her dad signed up for Walmart’s Open Call through RangeMe this spring because they always knew they wanted to be in Walmart.

“We love that Walmart is focusing on buying more products made in the U.S. and their support for veteran and women-owned businesses,” she said. “We are both.”

The duo has one angel investor who helped them with their first inventory order, and from there, they have reinvested proceeds to fund the business.

“My dad and I were excited to come to Bentonville and meet with Walmart buyers at the Open Call,” Krumins said. “Getting the golden ticket was a dream come true. We are working with our buyer team now to determine which stores will be the best fit for Opu, a premium probiotic item. The mods reset in April, and that’s the earliest we can be in the select stores. That’s a fast timeline, but we are excited to do it.”

She knows the company will have to raise more capital to replenish inventory and has plans to meet with another angel investor with “Shark Tank” ties in the coming weeks.

“We are debt-free,” Krumins said. “But we will need to ramp up inventory for the retail launch at Walmart, and that will take more capital.”

SUCCESS STORY GOAL
She said Walmart tries to help small suppliers succeed, especially when they start with a limited number of stores.

“I want to be on that Open Call stage next year as one of the success stories,” Krumins said. “That’s my goal. I noticed there was not a single female on the success panels this year.”

Aside from the growing direct-to-consumer business, Opu is also sold on Amazon. She is pitching to specialty-retailer Sprouts in the coming weeks.

Krumins and Dunsha are also working with a local group known as Mind Heart Works that helps provide workforce training to young people with autism.

Opu is a small operation with Krumins and Dunsha doing most of the heavy lifting. But they did bring an employee named Alex into the business three years ago. They have since added William, who has autism and cerebral palsy. The goal is to have a team of 20 or 30 employees from the program as the company grows its distribution.

“I cannot tell you the joy they get when they come in and work with us,” Krumins said. “Alex was non-verbal when he started with Opu three years ago. Now he takes our packages over to the post office. He handles delivery and does so much within our company and is so confident and so excited about what he does. For me, it’s two-fold. I want to be a success at retail with financial benefits and also use that to make a deeper impact in the lives of others.”

Editor’s note: The Supply Side section of Talk Business & Politics focuses on the companies, organizations, issues and individuals engaged in providing products and services to retailers. The Supply Side is managed by Talk Business & Politics, and is sponsored by HRG.