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Max-Wellness LLC — the latest venture of retail maven Michael Feuer — has raised $1.1 million on the way to a $7 million institutional fundraise.

Feuer is building what he hopes will be a national chain of Max-Wellness stores that stock a growing array of health products, from vitamins, blood pressure monitors and sleep aids to custom orthotics, high-end orthopedic braces and sexual well-being DVDs.

Starting with two stores in Ohio and two in Florida — the states in which he lives — the co-founder of office supply superstore OfficeMax is trying to replicate his retailing success in the wellness products market. The fourth Max-Wellness store in Woodmere Village, Ohio, is expected to celebrate its grand opening on June 11.

Max-Wellness, based in Warrensville Heights, Ohio, will use the money to open four more stores this year and more than a dozen next year, as well as for working capital. “I was the investor that bought the $1.1 [million] initially,” Feuer said in an emailed response to a reporter’s questions. “We expect the deal to sell out.”

Feuer believes now is the right time for retailers to cash in on the $100 billion-a-year wellness industry. Consumers are starting to spend again after guarding their wallets for the better part of two years. While national policy makers and healthcare professionals are pushing wellness to solve the overwhelming cost of healthcare, it’s the individual who makes each wellness purchasing decision.

One surprise, so far, has been the number of young, healthy people who shop at Max-Wellness. “We’re getting young people in the store who are really into nutrition, body building, exercise and staying well,” Feuer said. “We responded to that by broadening our mix of merchandise. Now there are more products for sports and sports injuries. We’ve expanded our assortment of some of the higher-end nutritional products.”