PHOTO: Jenny Craig. FILE
Jenny Craig, the renowned weight loss firm, is set to make a comeback as an online business after facing bankruptcy just two months ago. Founded in 1983, the company has been acquired by Wellful, a wellness brand, and will resume operations as a direct-to-consumer delivery service later this year.
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Jenny Craig gained worldwide fame for its personalized weight loss centers and prepackaged meal plans, which offered clients effective weight loss solutions. However, after four decades in the industry, it struggled to compete with the rising popularity of trendy diets and weight loss medications like Ozempic.
In May, the company’s executives announced the winding down of its physical operations due to bankruptcy. At that time, Jenny Craig employed around 1,000 people in the United States. Wellful, the owner of the low-calorie meals brand Nutrisystem, plans to keep the weight loss centers closed and focus on selling meal plans online. Digital coaching sessions will also be available.
While the exact acquisition cost remains undisclosed, court filings from June valued Jenny Craig’s intellectual property as high as $10 million. Wellful’s CEO, Brandon Adcock, expressed his commitment to helping people lose weight and lead healthier lives through this acquisition, strengthening the brand’s mission.
Jenny Craig was initially launched by entrepreneur Jenny Craig and her husband Sid, opening their first center in Melbourne, Australia, and later expanding into the United States. By 1991, the business boasted 164,000 customers worldwide, with over 400 company-owned centers and 220 franchises.