Retail Observer

RETAILOBSERVER.COM DECEMBER 2019 58 B U Y I N G G R O U P N E W S A s part of its continuing efforts to help its members capitalize on the growing trend of online furniture and bedding sales, Nationwide Marketing Group has launched a new partnership with Resident Home. Traditionally known as a house of online direct-to-consumer brands, Resident Home is joining Nationwide to bring those product lines into its members' brick-and-mortar retail locations over the course of the next year. As part of the program, Nationwide members will have access to Resident Home's entire portfolio of brands, including Nectar, DreamCloud, Awara, Level Sleep, Wovenly and Bundle. "We are thrilled to be working with Nationwide Marketing Group as a leader in the buying group channel," says Al Dambrauskas, director of retail furniture distribution for Resident Home. "Having worked with Nationwide during my career in a previous role, I have always been impressed with the numerous resources that are available to help their members gain competitive advantages and grow their business. We look forward to contributing our expertise in marketing and innovation and are excited about the opportunities to come." One of the most exciting opportunities for Nationwide members will be the inclusion of their stores' locations on Resident Home's store locator pages which average more than 70,000 page views per day. Stephen Frey, Jr., president of Factory Mattress in Austin, Texas, says there's plenty to be excited about with this new partnership – especially with the addition of Nectar. "Nectar leads the way as far as quality and price are concerned," Frey says. "And it's clear with all of the investments they're making in their marketing efforts that they're serious about not only being an innovative brand but also helping retailers like us drive actual foot traffic into our stores." Resident Home has leaned on its significant marketing investments and extensive use of analytics and algorithms to generate large demand for its products online. The Nectar mattress brand was recently recognized as the fastest growing online retailer in North America in 2018, just over a year after its initial launch. Looking ahead to 2020, Resident Home and Nationwide plan to leverage those skill sets and the high online traffic volume to drive customers into members' stores. "Yes, Resident Home's flagship brand is the Nectar bed-in-a-box, but their plan for 2020 is to add different categories that allow retailers to sell products for the entire home," says Jeff Rose, director of furniture and bedding for Nationwide. "With this new direction and unique advertising strategy, bringing Resident Home into Nationwide's portfolio of brands was an easy decision." RO NATIONWIDE MARKETING GROUP LAUNCHES NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH RESIDENT HOME Nationwide members will have in-store access to all resident home brands, including bed-in-a-box leader Nectar Sleep

• Cover