Increased Delivery, Pickup and Amazon’s Cashier-less ‘Go’ Stores Are Part of the Future
The pandemic certainly caused upheaval in the retail industry this past year.
“Consumer shopping habits have changed,” said Mitch Gould, CEO and founder of Nutritional Products International, which is based in Boca Raton, FL. “Shopping online increased many-fold during the COVID-19 health crisis, but what is even more significant is that consumers got used to buying items online that they had never bought digitally before.”
Gould, whose company, NPI, works with health and wellness brands expand into the U.S. consumer market, keeps abreast of retail trends.
“Retail is my business,” Gould said. “It is not surprising that sales in household cleaners, soap, and hair color increased during the pandemic.
“Vitamins and supplements also made it to the top of the list,” Gould said, adding that the health crisis forced many people to become more health-conscious. “Although sales of health and wellness products skyrocketed during the early months of the pandemic, J.P. Morgan reported that sales in the third quarter of last year still increased dramatically.”
Gould said online shopping now accounts for 16.1 percent of all sales in the U.S., up from 11.8 percent in the first quarter of last year.
“With more than 100 million people being vaccinated by Spring, you will see increased shopping at brick-and-mortar retail stores, but people have discovered the convenience of one-click shopping. It is addicting.”
Gould said Supermarket News just reported that delivery and pickup sales increased dramatically in January.
The Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey suggests the regional grocers will ‘need to enhance the digital experience’ to remain competitive,’” he said.
Although the Brick Meets Click/Mercatus Grocery Shopping Survey shows some consumers may not continue to use delivery or pickup from local stores again, Gould said retailers will need to continually innovate their online experience to keep their customers from moving elsewhere.
“Retailers, especially regional outlets, have to improve their online shopping experience,” Gould said. “Even if retailers lose some online shoppers, the trend toward digital purchases should continue as it has for the past several years.”
Another retail trend that will reverberate throughout the industry is the cashier-less shopping experience.
“Amazon Go grocery stores use its ‘Just Walk Out’ technology in its cashier-less stores, and people are looking forward to trying it out,” Gould said. “Imagine never having to wait in line again. Amazon’s technology goes far beyond self-checkout.”
Gould’s entire career has been in retail
Gould has helped bring 100s, if not 1,000s, of health and wellness products to the American consumer throughout the years. To streamline U.S. expansion, the third-generation retail professional developed his “Evolution of Distribution” platform.
NPI is a turnkey operation for domestic and international health and wellness brands seeking to enter the U.S. market or expand their presence here.
“I talk weekly to CEOs from businesses throughout the world. They are eager to conquer the American market,” Gould said.
To help these health and wellness brands expand their retail network, Gould has put together what NPI calls the. “Powerhouse Trifecta.” Gould, along with NPI president Jeff Fernandez, and Kenneth E. Collins, NPI’s executive vice president, have almost 100 years of combined retail experience.
“Ken and I placed more than 150 products onto the new virtual shelves of Amazon’s health and well category in the early 2000s,” Gould said. “We met Jeff when he was a buyer on the team Amazon assembled to create its new category, which today probably clears billions of dollars for the online giant.”
Gould said companies have to constantly innovate to stay competitive in the retail segment.
“At NPI, we monitor current retail and future trends to make sure our clients retain a competitive advantage.”
For more information, visit Nutritional Products International online.
MORE ON NPI AND ITS FOUNDER
NPI is a privately-held company specializing in the retail distribution of nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, functional beverages, and skincare products. NPI offers a unique, proven approach for product manufacturers worldwide seeking to launch or expand their products’ distribution in the U.S. retail market.
Mitch Gould, the founder of NPI, is a third-generation retail distribution and manufacturing professional. Gould developed the “Evolution of Distribution” platform, which provides domestic and international product manufacturers with the sales, marketing, and product distribution expertise required to succeed in the world’s largest market — the United States. Gould, known as a global marketing guru, also has represented icons from the sports and entertainment worlds such as Steven Seagal, Hulk Hogan, Ronnie Coleman, Roberto Clemente Jr., Chuck Liddell, and Wayne Gretzky.
