The Case for Flagship Stores in the Age of the Internet
Nordstrom is a fourth-generation member of the retailing family that started Seattle-based Nordstrom as a single shoe store in 1901. Like his brothers, Nordstrom began working at the company as a shoe clerk. He helped expand Nordstrom’s e-commerce business before becoming co-president (with brother Pete) in 2015.
After decades of planning, Nordstrom Inc. opened a 320,000-square-foot store—set to be its highest-grossing—in Manhattan on Oct. 24. It’s betting a focus on customer experience will help it stand out in New York’s crowded market.
I grew up selling shoes. You are literally on your hands and knees in front of the customer trying to take care of them. That’s a good metaphor for how we try to continue to run the business: We focus on the customer, and certainly today’s customer wants things done differently.