Nutritional Products International (NPI), a leading global brand management and retail distribution company, announced that its executive team will participate in the 2026 ECRM Vitamin, Weight Management & Sports Nutrition Session, taking place 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 throughout the U.S. retail marketplace.
Founded by 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. For decades, Gould has worked with consumer brands across health, wellness, sports nutrition, personal care, and general merchandise. His career includes helping products secure placement with major retailers such as Walmart, Costco, CVS, Walgreens, GNC, Rite Aid, The Home Depot, Lowe's, and Amazon. He was also 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.
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 portfolio of domestic and international health and wellness brands seeking to expand in the United States.
The significance of this announcement lies in NPI's two decades of experience in navigating the complexities of U.S. retail, which is crucial for brands looking to enter the world's largest consumer market. As the industry evolves, NPI's integrated approach and participation in key events like ECRM underscore its role in shaping market access and growth strategies for health and wellness products.
