Segment Information (Details) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) store	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)	Jun. 30, 2015 USD ($) segment store	Jun. 30, 2014 USD ($)
Segment Information
Number of business segments | segment			4
Net sales	$ 815,610	$ 806,961	$ 2,429,257	$ 2,413,092
Income (loss) from operations	77,891	79,288	216,041	243,738
Depreciation and amortization	39,026	27,309	98,459	78,709
Capital expenditures	37,626	25,192	83,592	72,436
Adjustments
Segment Information
Income (loss) from operations	(5,494)		(13,498)
Reportable Business Segments
Segment Information
Net sales	815,610	806,961	2,429,257	2,413,092
Income (loss) from operations	115,278	101,823	310,064	316,287
Depreciation and amortization	18,624	17,561	54,279	51,023
Capital expenditures	19,223	17,211	45,016	40,553
Reportable Business Segments | Adjustments
Segment Information
Income (loss) from operations	(589)		(6,893)
Corporate/Manufacturing
Segment Information
Income (loss) from operations	(37,387)	(22,535)	(94,023)	(72,549)
Depreciation and amortization	20,402	9,748	44,180	27,686
Capital expenditures	18,403	7,981	38,576	31,883
Corporate/Manufacturing | Adjustments
Segment Information
Income (loss) from operations	(4,905)		(6,659)
Consumer Products Group | Reportable Business Segments
Segment Information
Net sales	476,452	471,344	1,425,918	1,420,067
Income (loss) from operations	61,363	41,355	147,828	143,087
Depreciation and amortization	8,993	9,032	27,021	27,199
Capital expenditures	602	41	1,301	244
Consumer Products Group | Reportable Business Segments | Adjustments
Segment Information
Income (loss) from operations	(534)		(3,743)
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments
Segment Information
Net sales	225,428	215,328	655,831	635,556
Income (loss) from operations	45,890	48,386	138,287	142,260
Depreciation and amortization	5,848	4,807	16,005	12,984
Capital expenditures	$ 17,139	12,380	$ 40,291	27,248
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett
Segment Information
Number of stores | store	1,007		1,007
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | U.K.
Segment Information
Number of stores | store	690		690
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | Netherlands
Segment Information
Number of stores | store	151		151
Number of franchised stores | store	5		5
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | Ireland
Segment Information
Number of stores | store	48		48
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | Belgium
Segment Information
Number of stores | store	18		18
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | China
Segment Information
Number of franchised stores | store	32		32
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | Singapore
Segment Information
Number of franchised stores | store	28		28
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | United Arab Emirates
Segment Information
Number of franchised stores | store	15		15
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | Cyprus
Segment Information
Number of franchised stores | store	10		10
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | Malta
Segment Information
Number of franchised stores | store	5		5
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | Kuwait
Segment Information
Number of franchised stores | store	2		2
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | Gibraltar
Segment Information
Number of franchised stores | store	1		1
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | Holland & Barrett | Spain
Segment Information
Number of franchised stores | store	2		2
Holland & Barrett International | Reportable Business Segments | GNC (UK) stores | U.K.
Segment Information
Number of stores | store	49		49
Puritan's Pride | Reportable Business Segments
Segment Information
Net sales	$ 62,467	63,940	$ 188,984	187,904
Income (loss) from operations	6,630	9,009	19,159	23,372
Depreciation and amortization	2,838	2,830	8,508	8,475
Capital expenditures	22	402	293	1,084
Puritan's Pride | Reportable Business Segments | Adjustments
Segment Information
Income (loss) from operations	(55)		(576)
Vitamin World | Reportable Business Segments
Segment Information
Net sales	51,263	56,349	158,524	169,565
Income (loss) from operations	1,395	3,073	4,790	7,568
Depreciation and amortization	945	892	2,745	2,365
Capital expenditures	$ 1,460	$ 4,388	3,131	$ 11,977
Vitamin World | Reportable Business Segments | Adjustments
Segment Information
Income (loss) from operations			$ (2,529)
Vitamin World | Reportable Business Segments | Vitamin World
Segment Information
Number of stores | store	386		386