Mitch Gould, founder and CEO of Nutritional Products International (NPI), is set to bring his decades of retail sales expertise to the ECRM Vitamin, Weight Management & Sports Nutrition Session, scheduled for Sept. 14-17 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Gould has a long history of selling millions of dollars in consumer products to major retailers including Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Target, GNC, and Vitamin Shoppe. For Gould, ECRM provides a unique opportunity to meet with retail decision-makers from multiple channels in one location, eliminating the need for countless individual trips and appointments.
“I've spent my career traveling the country, sitting down with buyers and building relationships with major retailers,” Gould said. “ECRM brings many of those opportunities together under one roof. Instead of flying from city to city for individual meetings, you can have productive conversations with retailers over several days in one location.” Gould emphasized that the value of ECRM goes beyond efficiency. “Retail has always been a relationship business,” he added. “There is something different about meeting people face-to-face, having dinner together, talking outside the formal meeting environment and getting to know the people behind the business. ECRM creates that kind of atmosphere.”
Gould's retail experience spans decades and includes working with manufacturers, consumer brands, and major retailers across the health, wellness, and nutrition industries. He later developed NPI's “Evolution of Distribution” platform to provide domestic and international brands with a streamlined approach to entering or expanding in the U.S. market. The platform brings sales, marketing, logistics, and retail distribution services together under one operation. “ECRM fits naturally with the way we approach retail expansion at NPI,” Gould said. “It gives us an opportunity to sit across the table from retailers, understand what they are looking for and introduce them to brands and products that may fit their customers.”
Gould will attend the September session on behalf of NPI and the brands the company represents. His participation underscores a key insight for the industry: while technology has accelerated business processes, personal relationships remain crucial. “Technology has made business faster, but relationships still matter,” Gould said. “When you can bring efficiency and personal relationships together, that's a powerful combination.” This perspective is particularly relevant in the health and wellness sector, where trust and understanding between retailers and suppliers can significantly impact product success.
Gould's extensive background includes roles with iconic consumer brands such as Igloo, Rubbermaid, Sunbeam, and Miracle-Gro, as well as high-profile celebrity brands. His work has been instrumental in the growth of the U.S. sports nutrition category, supporting the expansion of performance-focused products across major retail and e-commerce platforms. As the industry evolves, events like ECRM provide vital forums for maintaining the human element in commerce, ensuring that partnerships thrive amidst technological advancements.
