Nutritional Products International (NPI), a global brand management and retail distribution company, announced that its executive team will participate in the 2026 ECRM Vitamin, Weight Management & Sports Nutrition Session, scheduled for September 14-17 at the PGA National Resort in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. This year's event coincides with NPI's 20th anniversary of assisting domestic and international brands in entering and expanding within the U.S. retail marketplace.
Led by founder and CEO Mitch Gould, NPI has built a reputation for guiding brands through every stage of U.S. market entry, from regulatory readiness and logistics to retail placement and ongoing marketing support. "ECRM continues to be one of the most efficient ways to connect innovative brands with major retail buyers," said Gould. "It creates an environment for meaningful business conversations and aligns perfectly with our Evolution of Distribution platform, which helps brands successfully enter and grow in the U.S. marketplace."
The ECRM session brings together buyers from major health, specialty, food, drug, mass, and eCommerce retailers for private, pre-scheduled meetings with established and emerging brands. This format allows for focused discussions and relationship building, which are crucial for brand expansion.
Gould's career spans decades, during which he has worked with consumer brands across health, wellness, sports nutrition, personal care, and general merchandise. His efforts have helped products secure placement with many of America's largest retailers, including Walmart, Costco, CVS, Walgreens, GNC, Rite Aid, The Home Depot, Lowe's, and Amazon. Notably, Gould was among the early pioneers who helped establish Amazon's sports nutrition marketplace by introducing more than 100 brands to the platform during its formative years, significantly shaping one of today's largest online health and wellness retail categories.
His collaborations with well-known athletes and celebrities, such as Steven Seagal, Hulk Hogan, Chuck Liddell, Ronnie Coleman, and Roberto Clemente Jr., have transformed emerging consumer products into nationally distributed brands. This experience underscores his ability to navigate complex retail environments and build successful partnerships.
Today, NPI's proprietary Evolution of Distribution platform provides an integrated approach to U.S. market expansion by combining global logistics, product readiness and regulatory alignment, market positioning and brand strategy, retail and eCommerce placement, and post-placement marketing into a single turnkey solution. Rather than simply introducing products to retailers, NPI works alongside brands throughout the commercialization process, helping prepare products for the U.S. marketplace while supporting long-term retail growth.
"ECRM is an important part of that process," Gould added. "The meetings create opportunities, but success comes from everything that happens before and after those conversations. We help brands prepare for retail, secure placement, and continue building momentum long after the meetings conclude." During this year's session, NPI will meet with retail buyers while representing a growing portfolio of domestic and international health and wellness brands seeking to expand throughout the United States.
The significance of this participation lies in NPI's two-decade track record of facilitating market entry for brands, which has contributed to the growth of the health and wellness retail sector. By connecting innovative products with major retailers, NPI plays a pivotal role in bringing new wellness solutions to consumers nationwide. As the industry evolves, NPI's integrated approach ensures that brands are well-prepared to meet regulatory and consumer demands, ultimately benefiting both retailers and end-users.
