Nordstrom has come a long way since its humble beginnings as a shoe retailer in the early part of the 20th century. Now with the 4th generation of Nordstroms at the helm, it has positioned itself for the future with its customer-centric focus and rich history of entrepreneurial spirit. This analysis will focus on the transformation of their core operations and the potential for future strategic movement in the world of retail sales.
Corporate strategic and organizational practices From the early stages as a wholly owned family business, Nordstrom was characterized by its ability to provide the highest quality and largest selection of products at very competitive prices. One of the most distinctive corporate traits that helped guide
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The customer had always been the most important aspect of the Nordstrom business model and success as an organization. Their reputation had been built upon providing exceptional customer service; however, they were failing to effectively meet the needs of their core customer base on a consistent basis. Nordstrom initially lacked the focused determination on efficient execution that was required to maintain a strong relationship with their customers, yet they were able to able to turn things around by going back to the basics. Nordstrom can sustain these competitive advantages by continuing to nurture and grow the entrepreneurial instinct within their salespeople and further build on their strong customer relationship initiatives. In the highly competitive retail marketplace, where products are homogeneous and low cost pricing strategies limit profitability, firms need to build their organizations around more intangible aspects that are hard to duplicate and difficult to imitate. For Nordstrom, their intangible assets of their entrepreneurial spirit that is infused throughout their selling process and their unwavering dedication to their customer will continue to set them apart as a niche clothing and fashion retailer.
Factors that led to the turnaround
Once the shareholders and Wall Street analysts started seeing Nordstrom as too complex and not scalable, they began to lose confidence in the company. By
Weaknesses - Although Nordstrom has substantial strength, the organization is not without weaknesses. First, although Nordstrom’s has a superior selection in comparison to the majority of other retail clothing companies, their quality also comes at a cost that many consumers are not willing to pay. In a period of economic instability and uncertainty, consumers are turning to online retailers such as Amazon in order to fulfill their clothing needs. Moreover, consumers are looking for more convenient ways of purchasing products and clothing is typically something where overnight shipping is acceptable versus an immediate need. Additionally, another weakness of Nordstrom is the geographic dispersion of their retail locations which are most commonly associated with shopping malls. Coincidentally, shopping malls are also struggling to compete with online retailers, thus Nordstrom experiences less opportunistic walk-in customers. On the same token, the opportunity costs for underserved
Identify the type of retailer that Nordstrom’s is classified as. Describe the characteristics it shares with other retailers of this type.
The industry we have chosen is the department store-retail industry. Within this industry, we have chosen the department stores of JCPenney and Macy’s. We find this industry, as well as these two companies, interesting from a strategic perspective. JCPenney has recently undergone a massive strategic restructuring in regards to its pricing, brand offerings, and store layout, pushing it away from the typical department store strategy of discounts and coupons. Its new strategy has become much closer to Wal-Mart’s strategy of every day low prices. Macy’s, on the other hand, has restructured with a push from the economic
This report examines the value of Nordstrom Inc. stock and offers existing shareholders and prospective shareholders an insight into the value of the company. The purpose of this report is to provide potential shareholders with information as to why they should buy into the company and existing shareholders with information as to why they should hold their stock.
Nordstrom is one of the top retailers in the United States. With a solid brand image and a sound financial situation, Nordstrom is relentless in their expansion in the US, and are beginning to expand into international markets. Nordstrom takes pleasure in providing state of the art client support and having experienced sales people. In order to hold their position as the most successful high-end retailer in the United States, Nordstrom must continue to figure out ways to improve their brand image and customer satisfaction. Nordstrom’s current business working strategy is successful but I believe there are a few ideal solutions that the organization could apply to further enhance the organization. Due to the aggressive
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.
Threat: Forces shaping the Nordstrom’s strategy is that it is operating in highly competitive environment, where apparel sold by it is not only competing with large organized departmental chains but, also from small independent boutiques in the U.S. As a result competition has become very stiff in retail
Nordstrom Inc., started as a small shoe store in Seattle, Washington in 1901. Since that time it has become one of the leading and successful shoe and apparel retailers in operation today. After reviewing different information regarding Nordstrom Inc. espoused values and enacted values, it is apparent that they are in alignment. Espoused values are the core values of the company. The history and organizational beliefs, developed into policy for the company. The goal of the espoused values is to create standard of behavior for the company. The enacted values are norms exhibited by employees (Answers, 2013). If the espoused and enacted values are misaligned problems could occur within the
The company’s profits were growing and there was increases in market share. Nordstrom marketing plan was effective but there was still room to grow. The company needed to change its marketing strategy and further its market penetration to remain successful.
Macy's Inc. is one of the nation's largest and well known department store chains. Started over 150 years ago, Macy's has continually generated excellent returns for its shareholders and employees. Currently, in the midst of a global recession, Macy's has generated huge profits with same store sales increasing 5.3% year to date. In 2012 same store sales increased 4.6% in the month of February alone (Macy's Inc., 2012). In fact, throughout the duration of 2012, Macy's is projecting even larger profits for its underlying business operations. Even though Macy's has experienced success with both its assortments and brand, its competitors haven't faired so well. Sears, due in part to part to a lackluster holiday season, has been forced to close nearly 120 locations to generate excess liquidity in an effort to shore up its balance sheet (Isidore, 2011).Other competitors who cater specifically to the middle class consumer have also lost significant amounts of market share as consumers trade down due to the economy. This performance is primarily due to the core functions and operations of the business. Planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Macy's excels at these forms of management, which has allowed the company to perform at a higher level relative to its peers in the industry.
Recognizing any success Nordstrom enjoys basic quality of their relationships with customers, employees, vendors and communities. Striving to be a socially responsible company and know that the trust of the customers is to have is not to be taken
Founded by J.W. Nordstrom in 1880 as a small shoe store, by 1995 Nordstrom had become a giant retailer with net earnings of $203 million and over 35,000 employees. Nordstrom remains a family operation to date. The idea of the ‘Nordstrom Way’ - with strong commitment to the firm, emphasis on proactive service, no external hiring, and a decentralized management structure (e.g., Nordstrom has no CEO) - is central to their employee relations, and is seen as central to their success. Average compensation within the company is above industry average.
The primary challenge Nordstrom faces in the current retail climate would have to be the ability to keep a high level of quality service and products. They also must be able to change with the times keeping their merchandise current. The way that other big name retailers of their type such as Macy’s advertise can also be a challenge too.
Macy's is one of the premier retailer franchises within the United States. To begin, Macy's Inc. is one of the nation's largest and well known department store chains. Started over 150 years ago, Macy's has continually generated excellent returns for its shareholders and employees. Currently, in the midst of a global recession, Macy's has generated huge profits with same store sales increasing 5.3% year to date. In 2012 same store sales increased 4.6% in the month of February alone (Macy's Inc., 2012). In fact, throughout the duration of 2012, Macy's is projecting even larger profits for its underlying business operations. Even though Macy's has experienced success with both its assortments and brand, its competitors haven't faired so well. Sears, due in part to part to a lackluster holiday season, has been forced to close nearly 120 locations to generate excess liquidity in an effort to shore up its balance sheet (Isadora, 2011).Other competitors who cater specifically to the middle class consumer have also lost significant amounts of market share as consumers trade down due to the economy. Macy's, with its ride array of assortments and products continues to grow as it attempts to capture market share from failing competitors. Macy's is also unique as it operates in a unique market demographic. It is upscale, but not to the extent of Saks Fifth Avenue or a Nordstrom. It is also not as low scale as a JC Penny
Kmart started off as a discount retailer successfully pioneering the same concept as that of F. W. Woolworth. As stores began to grow and diversify, Kmart stepped in and took the lead role in offering a one-stop shopping center that fulfilled everyone's needs. As new niches began to emerge offering larger, more specialized stores, Kmart hit a major hurdle. The successful management strategies it had developed early on were now outdated and in major need of being renovated to coincide with changing market place and customer values. As Kmart attempted to revolutionize its image and infrastructure, stores such as Target and Wal-Mart took over as the leaders in the discount retailer arena. As Kmart's image began to sink