Nutritional Products International (NPI), a global brand management and retail distribution firm, announced its executive team will attend the ECRM Vitamin, Weight Management & Sports Nutrition Session beginning September 8th at the PGA National Resort & Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. ECRM (Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing) events connect product manufacturers with retail buyers through private, one-on-one meetings designed to establish lasting business relationships.
For NPI, these sessions represent a significant evolution from the methods used by founder and CEO Mitch Gould, who spent decades traveling across the United States to personally meet buyers at corporate headquarters. Gould stated, "Before ECRM, I personally traveled to virtually every major retail headquarters in the country — Costco, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Rite Aid, Kmart, Sam’s Club, 7-Eleven — and secured millions of dollars in orders. Some of these headquarters are like small cities, and walking their halls was an education in how retail really works."
Gould's 35-year career spans every retail channel, working with consumer goods across health, wellness, sports nutrition, and general merchandise. His extensive track record includes placing products in major retailers such as Walmart, Costco, CVS, GNC, Rite Aid, The Home Depot, and Lowe’s. In the early 2000s, Gould played a pivotal role in helping Amazon.com establish its sports nutrition category by placing more than 100 brands onto Amazon's then-new health and wellness platform.
The importance of this participation extends beyond mere attendance at industry events. Gould's career has intersected with major celebrities and athletes, including collaborations with Steven Seagal, Hulk Hogan, Chuck Liddell, Ronnie Coleman, Steve Garvey, Joe Theismann, Wayne Gretzky, and Roberto Clemente Jr. These partnerships have accelerated product launches, such as Seagal’s Lightning Bolt Energy Drink, which reached Walmart and 7-Eleven shelves nationwide within a year.
Today, Gould leads NPI with his proprietary "Evolution of Distribution" platform, a turnkey system that helps domestic and international brands launch or expand in the U.S. market by handling sales, marketing, logistics, and follow-up. Gould explained, "The ECRM platform aligns perfectly with our model. It allows us to introduce innovative products directly to retail buyers in a focused setting while providing our clients with a proven path from concept to cart. We handle every step, from the introduction to the placement, and beyond."
The ECRM Vitamin, Weight Management & Sports Nutrition Session serves as a premier platform for innovation in the health and wellness industry, bringing together product manufacturers and leading retail buyers for private, pre-scheduled meetings that foster new partnerships and accelerate product placement. This approach represents a fundamental shift in how products reach consumers, moving from traditional corporate headquarters visits to efficient, targeted business development sessions that benefit both manufacturers and retailers.
