Nordstrom : An American Upscale Fashion Retailer

Kohl’s is an American department store, founded by Maxwell Kohl in 1962. In 1946, Maxwell operated his first store which is known as Kohl’s Food Store. After the success of Kohl’s Food Store, he opened his first department store which is Kohl’s Department Store (present). Since that year, it has been operating in the retail industry and it offers clothing, furniture, accessories, electronics, and house ware products. During the 2000s. Kohl’s has expanded nationwide in the United States. Also, Kohl’s is the second largest retail store in the United States. In addition, the target group of Kohl’s are upper middle and upper class individuals especially families.(Gennrich, 2012)

With the high competitiveness that comes along with the full-line market of fashion, there is a fast growing market with the off-price market as well. Over the next five years according to Adams, Nordstrom Rack stores will continue to outpace full-line Nordstrom stores in the United States, and continuing to grow within the market and gain the market share.

Nordstrom is an ideal store based in US equipped with fashionable items that can be bought through coupons availed through Nordstrom coupons. The Nordstrom coupon codes are another way to make discounted deals you can search for on the online web. Women make their important buys of fashionable items which is sold with use of Nordstrom coupon.

The third component is promotion – the advertising, publicity and public relations. Nordstrom’s doesn’t rely on promotions as much as they do “word-of-mouth.” “This kind of word-of-mouth publicity means that Nordstrom spends much less on traditional advertising than its competitors do. And the stories told by satisfied customers are much more persuasive than an ad in the Sunday Paper.” One of the stories that are told in the article is of the customer service rep who sold the woman with one leg one shoe. Not only did the store gain a life-long customer from that experience, but that story may have driven in countless patrons to shop at Nordstrom’s after hearing this woman’s experience. A satisfied customer will on average tell 2 to 3 people about their experience. Those 2 to 3 people could generate 2 to 3 sales for the sales person, and those 2 people could each tell 2 people. Word-of-mouth can become very lucrative for the original sales person.

Nordstrom has done a lot to their technology department since 2009 to compete with competitors in the online market. If there were ideas that I could suggest for them, I would say that in their search area on the sites, they can still add more functions, such as a rating system where customers can rank the product on how good it is. Companies such as Macy’s and Nike have a customer rating system for clothing, so buyers know which products are being liked and which ones aren’t. Also, in the online inventory, Nordstrom needs to include which products are new, and which ones are old because it is not listed on their site. Companies such as Nike, Banana Republic and Macy’s all have a “new arrival” tab on their website while Nordstrom does not. Those would be the only inventory management overhaul ideas I would recommend to them. As far as stretch goals are concerned, I

Through the 70’s the company continued to grow. In 1974 annual sales hit $130 million. By 1980 Nordstrom was the third largest specialty retailer in the country. Sales hit $407 million and in the next few years, sales continued to rise. Nordstrom’s success was due to many factors. Shoes accounted for about 18 percent of total sales. In addition Nordstrom consistently maintained huge inventories and selection, which were usually twice the size of other department stores. Anchor malls seek the company, as a cornerstone of downtown renovation projects or as an added jewel for high end shopping customers. By being able to expand not only by adding locations, but also by expanding merchandise sold, Nordstrom became a dominant force in the industry and strengthened their market share position.

Nordstrom’s is classified as one of the biggest U.S. department stores. Along with Sears, Macy’s, and JC Penny’s, Nordstrom manages each department in their stores as an individual buying center. Every group functions separately from one another, and is administered by a buyer who is in charge of all varieties and styles of merchandise sold. Promotions that can be used in the stores are included, as well. “The company has also benefited from a new computerized inventory system that gives buyers and salespeople the necessary data to make smarter decisions about what is needed in the stores—and what isn’t.” (Lamb, Hair, McDaniel 569). This new and improved system allows the department store to market a greater amount of full priced items, which ultimately increase sales. The buyer is also able to easily determine what items to obtain and exhibit in the store by using this system.

Nordstrom’s inventory turnover is 5 in 2015. Even through, the inventory turnover reduced in the last five years, Nordstrom still has better inventory turnover than Macy’s (3) and Dillard’s (3.2). The average receivable period for Nordstrom is 5 days in 2015. However, before 2015, the average receivable periods of Nordstrom were very high.

Goals & Objectives The goal of Nordstrom, is to create a wonderful customer experience, which will never change within the Nordstrom Company. Their goal is to create new experiences for its customers. For instance, their goal is to create convenience, speed, innovation, and personalization, which all impacts the customer experience (Nordstrom Company, n.d.). Nordstrom also wants to be able to invest in its cross-channel experience, by combining its online experience with the high-touch inclusivity of its stores (Nordstrom Company, n.d.).

Nordstrom, created in 1901 by John W. Nordstrom as a small shoe store in Seattle, Washington, is a major department store located in the United States and Canada. At Nordstrom you can find apparel, home goods, shoes, and accessories for your daily lives. Nordstrom has over 300 stores located in 40 states and has become one of the top department stores through their innovative tactics, great customer service, welcoming store environment, and their wide range of brands and products.

Nordstrom was co founded 1901 by a 30 year old man named John W Nordstrom and his partner Carl Wallin. At age 16, John W of Sweden left his home and moved to Alaska where he struck gold. While in Alaska, he met a man named Carl Wallin, “who owned a shoe repair shop in downtown Seattle” (Nordstrom Employee, 2006). The two decided form a partnership and open a shoe store entitled Wallin & Nordstrom.

Perception is important in an organizational culture. Perception is a “process by which individuals organize and interpret their sensory impressions in order to give meaning to their environment.” (Judge & Robbins, 2011) Nordstrom has a culture of autonomy, empowerment, good judgment, and above all good customer service. The leadership communicates the company history and goals through story telling so that employees can understand the importance of customer service to the organization. For example, in 1978 a customer returned a tire to the store, the employee asked for the receipt and returned the money to the customer. When working for Nordstrom as a seasonal employee, the tire story was shared with the new employees and is currently being shared with new employees. What I perceived the organization to be is one of standing by their claim of superior customer service, using good judgment, and the customer is always right.

Nordstrom is classified as an Upscale Independent Department Store Chain and is noted as one of the largest department stores of its type. Nordstrom is founded in 1901 by two partners, John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin. It’s headquarter is in Seattle, Washington area. Nordstrom carries a wide variety of merchandise and specialty goods, which includes apparel, shoes, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, handbags, accessories, and in some locations, home furnishings. Nordstrom is dealing with competition on many different levels. It is competing with higher end stores such as Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue. In addition, it is also competing with second tier stores such as Macy’s, Dillard’s,

Nordstrom’s employees and management are the company’s most valuable resource. An article written in the Seattle PI describes exactly why this is true. It states that, “Nordstrom salespeople make decisions as if managing their own business; they are trusted to do what is right. Everyone else in the company is there to help the sales staff make the sale and please the customer” (Mulady, 2009). The way the employees are treated and valued is a perfect portrayal of the company’s mission of providing the best possible customer service and value to the customer.

We don’t rely on promotions, be it one-day sales, coupons, or “friends of friends” sales. We think our regular pricing has to have integrity.” Fifth is presentation, where the stores image is determined. Nordstrom is known for its relaxed upscale image. Sixth is personnel or customer service, where employees assist customers with their shopping experience. Nordstrom’s personnel are outstanding while they may not serve customers champagne they definitely will go out of their way to assist customers. I think that their personnel have to be the reason behind their success. Whether the story about the customer buying one shoe or the customer returning tires are true or not, gives the current and potential customers a sense of comfort and good customer service beats prices any day.