Mitch Gould, Founder and CEO of Nutritional Products International, played a pivotal role in establishing Amazon's sports nutrition and health products category during the early 2000s when the e-commerce giant was primarily known as an online bookstore expanding into electronics. Working with Muscle Foods, a leading sports nutrition distributor, Gould and his team helped stock Amazon's emerging health and wellness platform with more than 100 brands and products, effectively building the category from the ground up. Amazon was building the foundation for what would become a trillion-dollar retail giant, Gould recalled. They wanted to expand into health and wellness, but they needed someone who understood the market—someone who could connect them with trusted, high-quality brands ready to sell online.
The collaboration required navigating complex logistics, compliance requirements, fulfillment processes, and marketing strategies that were unfamiliar to many manufacturers at the time. Among the early success stories were Native Remedies and Flora Health, both of which experienced exponential growth after being introduced to Amazon through Gould's efforts. These companies demonstrated how strategic product placement and brand management could generate millions in new sales and visibility for emerging wellness brands in the digital marketplace. This formative experience directly influenced Gould's development of the 'Evolution of Distribution' model, a turnkey system that helps brands enter and thrive in the U.S. retail market.
The model integrates all aspects of brand launch under one roof, including sales, logistics, FDA compliance, marketing, and online retail placement. I built the Evolution of Distribution because brands were struggling to enter the U.S. efficiently, Gould explained. Instead of spending massive sums on office space, staffing, and consultants, they can rely on NPI to manage the entire process. Today, NPI continues to work with major retailers including Costco, CVS, Walgreens, Walmart, The Vitamin Shoppe, and GNC, adapting its proven model to the rapidly changing omnichannel landscape.
Consumer behavior changed permanently after the pandemic, Gould noted. Even though people are back in stores, e-commerce remains central to how they shop. At NPI, we continue to help brands succeed in both worlds—online and on the shelf. Gould's early work with Amazon not only helped shape one of the most successful retail platforms in history but also established foundational principles that continue to guide distribution strategies in the evolving retail environment. The experience demonstrated how blending innovation, logistics, and marketing into a single, efficient process could transform market access for health and wellness products.
