Mitch Gould, founder and CEO of Nutritional Products International (NPI), is set to bring his extensive retail sales background to the ECRM Vitamin, Weight Management & Sports Nutrition Session, scheduled for September 14-17 in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Gould has spent decades selling consumer products to major retailers such as Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Target, GNC, and Vitamin Shoppe.
For Gould, ECRM represents an evolution in how retail relationships are built. Instead of traveling city to city for individual meetings, the event consolidates opportunities to connect with retail decision-makers from multiple channels in one location. "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."
The value of ECRM extends beyond efficiency. "Retail has always been a relationship business," Gould noted. "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 over 25 years, working with manufacturers, consumer brands, and major retailers across health, wellness, and nutrition. He later developed NPI's "Evolution of Distribution" platform to streamline market entry for domestic and international brands, integrating sales, marketing, logistics, and retail distribution 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 session on behalf of NPI and the brands it represents. He emphasized that despite technological advances, personal connections remain crucial. "Technology has made business faster, but relationships still matter," he said. "When you can bring efficiency and personal relationships together, that's a powerful combination."
