Retailers Planning Early for Holiday Shopping Season
Less than two weeks into October, Amazon has announced “Black Friday-Worthy” deals.
“The pandemic has moved the holiday shopping season up,” said Mitch Gould, founder and CEO of Nutritional Products International, a global brand management firm based in Boca Raton, FL. “Not only is Amazon starting early, but other retailers are following suit, including Target, which will offer “deal days” online this week.”
Gould said holiday sales are expected to jump significantly in year-over-year numbers.
“Even with this positive forecast, retailers are planning early to avoid supply-chain issues and labor shortages,” Gould said, adding that Best Buy recently announced it already was stocked for the holiday season.
Gould said Amazon also added a new feature to its shopping app.
“Prime members can send gifts to people without an address,” Gould said. “All you have to do is enter their phone numbers or email addresses.”
Gould said retailers need to emphasize innovation because of the pandemic.
“Consumers want convenience. They want same-day and next-day delivery. They want one-click shopping,” Gould said. “If you want to keep customers loyal to your brand, you need to make the shopping experience fun and easy.”
Gould and NPI keep up-to-date with retail trends because they work with domestic and international health and wellness brands that are launching new products in America.
“I developed the “Evolution of Distribution” platform that removes many obstacles that used to hinder product launches,” Gould said. “Instead of spending money on staff, logistics, regulatory compliance, and marketing, product manufacturers can turn to NPI, which offers all these services.”
Under the “Evolution of Distribution” platform, NPI becomes the U.S. headquarters for many of these brands.
Gould and NPI also were ahead of the curve with the advent of e-commerce.
In the early 2000s, Gould quickly realized how important online shopping would be when Amazon started selling everything online.
“I was part of a ‘Powerhouse Trifecta’ that placed more than 100 brands on Amazon’s new health and wellness shelves,” he said.
Gould said he and Kenneth E. Collins, who then worked for Muscle Foods, had the contacts in the health and wellness industry to move high-quality products onto Amazon’s platform.
“We worked with the other member of the ‘Powerhouse Trifecta,’ Jeff Fernandez, who was on the Amazon team that was tasked with stocking the new category.”
The “Powerhouse Trifecta” is still going strong.
“Jeff is now NPI president, and Ken is our executive vice president,” Gould added.
For more information, visit nutricompany.com.
MORE ON NPI AND ITS FOUNDER
NPI is a privately-held company that specializes in the retail distribution of nutraceuticals, dietary supplements, functional beverages, and skin-care products. NPI offers a unique, proven approach for product manufacturers worldwide seeking to launch or expand the distribution of their products in the U.S. retail market.
Mitch Gould, the founder of NPI, is a third-generation retail distribution and manufacturing professional. Gould, known as a global marketing guru, has represented icons from the sports and entertainment worlds such as Steven Seagal, Hulk Hogan, Ronnie Coleman, Roberto Clemente Jr., Chuck Liddell, Wayne Gretzky.
