Eye on Retail: The fastest-growing e-commerce retailer in North America is…

A bed-in-a-box company that offers consumers a one-year “try out” trial period takes top honors when it comes to year-over-year growth in an annual report of online retailers.

Nectar was recognized as the fastest-growing e-commerce retailer in North America, according to the 2019 “Internet Retailer’s 2019 Top 1000 Report.” Nectar’s sales surged 525% in 2018. Rounding out the top five: Hibbett Sports, whose online sales rose 175%; Brandless, up 150%; Hubble, up 145%; and La-Z Boy, up 131%. (Internet Retailer’s research team collected more than 200 data points for each of the 1,000 retailers and brands ranked in the report.)

Nectar launched several initiatives in 2018 to increase its presence, market share and drive sales. This includes its “Make America Sleep Again” video ad campaign, which featured cartoon characters of President Donald Trump, Russian president Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong Un of North Korea. It drove growth and awareness for the direct-to-consumer brand through digital advertising and Facebook campaigns, and received more than 13 million YouTube views.

Since launching in 2017, Nectar has expanded its product assortment and offerings from memory foam bed-in-a-box mattresses to include an assortment of weighted blankets, memory foam pillows, sheet sets and more. In January, the brand announced a partnership with Mattress Warehouse. Nectar’s mattresses will be featured in Mattress Warehouse’s 250-plus stores along the East Coast this year, enabling customers to test and purchase the product in a physical store for the first time. Customers can take home their mattresses right from the store or schedule it for home delivery.

“We have transformed the customer experience by delivering against all their needs; designing superior products based on customer data at sharper price points,” said Craig Schmeizer, co-founder, Nectar.