Nordstrom Competitor Analysis

With over a century of experience in the retail industry, is it essential to understand the history behind Nordstrom and how they have built their strong presence and bond with their consumers. Originally established as an independent shoe retailer, Nordstrom Inc. was founded in 1901 by John W. Nordstrom in Seattle, Washington. The company’s primary objective was “to provide exceptional service, selection, quality and value” (Nordstrom). This core belief established one of the strongest building blocks for the company. Their keen focus on delivering quality products and exceptional customer service has made Nordstrom stand out amongst its competitors. After gaining popularity, they decided to offer women’s, men’s, and children’s clothing. By

Through an analysis report on yahoo finance, the current market capitalization for Nordstrom (JWN) is $8.99B. This represents the total dollar market value for the company’s outstanding shares. Nordstrom’s has one of the biggest market capitalizations next to Macy’s $11.65B, where competitors such as J.C. Penney are at $2.55B and Dillard’s at $2.11B. Nordstrom has continued to grow, “as of October 21, 2016, the company operated 346 stores in 40 states, including 123 full-line stores in the United States and Canada; 213 Nordstrom Rack stores; 2 Jeffrey boutiques; and 2 clearance stores. Nordstrom, Inc. also sells its products through catalogs.” (Yahoo Finance) Nordstrom’s ongoing development and expansion make it a stable company. Altogether, Nordstrom’s company reputation, current assets, and market size create a solid foundation for potential investors, as well as how it conquers its current

Recent news of Nordstrom’s implementation strategies towards expansion alludes to success for both their retail and credit business segments. Nordstrom has recently expanded internationally by opening stores in Canada. Diving into a new marketplace will help increase revenue and increase their market capitalization. In May 2016, they claimed to have achieved their milestone through development of their rewards program, which allows customers to earn benefits no matter how they choose to pay. As a result, Nordstrom claimed, “the company has approximately 6 million active Rewards customers, up nearly 30 percent from 4.7 million in the prior quarter.” (Nordstrom) Some of the primary reasons that people shop at Nordstrom are for great customer service, their no questions asked return policy, personal stylists, ambience, in-store amenities, and free alterations. Through a recent posting of a previous Nordstrom employee, Mike Schoultz, explains, “the Nordstrom marketing strategy uses customer experience design as a key difference maker. The company is perhaps as known as much for its experience design as it is for the merchandise it sells.” Nordstrom has a way of making their customers feel