In episode 217 of Total Retail Talks, Executive Editor Joe Keenan interviews Ran Reske, co-founder of Resident, a house of direct-to-consumer (D-to-C) brands in the home goods space, including Nectar and DreamCloud. Listen in as Reske discusses the growth of Resident from a digital-native company into an omnichannel organization, and why he views Resident's D-to-C model as the future of commerce. He shares what differentiates Resident from other players in the online bedding space, including the brand's 365-night home trial period, competitive pricing, and offering a full suite of products for the rest of the home beyond the bedroom. Reske discusses Resident's move into physical retail, the benefits Resident has seen from offering products in over 1,000 brick-and-mortar retailers nationwide, and the company's future plans to increase its footprint with its own store locations. He shares the brand's expansion into international markets, starting in the U.K.; the trends he's tracking in omnichannel retail; and how Resident addresses shipping and fulfillment challenges by utilizing technology.

Ran Reske founded Resident in 2016 alongside co-founders Eric Hutchinson and Craig Schmeizer. The trio came together with an ambitious vision to disrupt the direct-to-consumer marketplace starting with the gateway into homes — a mattress. With a proven track record as entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and bankers, the three founders drove $250 million in annual sales in just two years. Prior to founding Resident, Reske held positions at Northwest Venture Partners, Amdocs, Pamplona Capital Management, Citigroup, and Ernst & Young.