Nordstrom Doubles Down On eCommerce Operations

Nordstrom has long been famous in the fashion world for delivering top-notch in-store customer experiences. Is it possible to give that same experience online?

That’s exactly what several executives at Nordstrom have announced, according to Retail Info Systems News. On top of a total of $3.9 billion already committed to omnichannel practices in 2014, Nordstrom acknowledged the need for continued innovation matching customers’ habits. Though the high-end retailer has kept pace with the industry as far as eCommerce innovation is concerned, Co-President Blake Nordstrom commented on how consumers have gravitated to mobile platforms and how Nordstrom will follow.

“To evolve with our customers’ rapidly changing expectations, we’re rolling out new features at a rate three times faster than last year,” Nordstrom said, as quoted by RIS News. “In addition to our ongoing mobile enhancements, we launched a unique text-to-buy feature for our salespeople, enabling customers to buy a product via text. As customers continue to want a more integrated shopping experience, we view mobile as a long-term priority to provide a richer experience for our customers.”

The news of increased interest in eCommerce shouldn’t come as a surprise to those following Nordstrom’s prior success there. In the retailer’s year-end earnings conference in February 2015, CFO Michael Koppel explained that online sales accounted for 18 percent of total sales. With a strong foundation like that to work from, more funding and support from upper management is sure to leave Nordstrom in a strong position to thrive in the growing eCommerce space.

Nordstrom hasn’t given up on the in-store experience just yet, though. With three stores planned for the Toronto area within the next three years, the Nordstrom brand seems poised to grow online, offline and wherever else its customers go.



To check out what else is HOT in Retail, click here.