The more things change, the more they stay the same. At least, that’s Nordstrom’s philosophy on service. However, the retailer — which started out in shoes, long before the dawn of the internet — has made a concerted effort to keep up with the times throughout its history, and it starts around a central ethos.
“We talk about the purpose of ‘feel good’ — that’s when service comes alive. It’s very important to put the ‘feel good’ in front of the ‘look their best,’” said Fanya Chandler, president of Nordstrom stores, in reference to the retailer’s long-held tag line. “When I think about service, it’s about how we make shopping convenient, enjoyable, fun for the customer.”
Though the organization now spans numerous categories and channels, Chandler’s mandate is to create a seamless experience for shoppers regardless of how they’re interacting with Nordstrom.
You May Also Like
Blending the physical and digital aspects is challenging, but exciting, according to the executive.
“Customers start their inspiration online, and it’s usually on their phone, they’re scrolling some social media platform and that’s when they’re inspired,” she said. “I don’t think there’s a customer who says, ‘Well, let me think about my shopping experience in-store, and then let me think about my shopping experience online.’ It’s just shopping. And when they’re in a digital environment, whether it’s on their phone or looking at something while they’re at work, it’s an experience.”
In stores, sales associates use an app to curate looks for customers, and that component will only get more personalized. “We want to offer them a relevant selection of whatever they’re looking for,” Chandler said. “We’re invested in technology, we try to keep focused on what customers are inspired by and try to stay ahead of that whenever we can. But the customers are so connected, more now than they’ve ever been, so that means we have to stay ahead of trends.”
Although speed and convenience are pros of the digital offering, the experience will always center around a people-centric approach, said Miguel Almeida, Nordstrom’s president of digital and customer experiences. “One immediate thing we’re working on is to have a human reachable at the click of a button. Most customers are OK not using a human, but it’s there.”
Content and storytelling have also helped the retailer give an in-store feel to its website, Almeida said. “We believe that tells a bit more of the narrative of it, brings the fashion point of view to life.”
Of course, technology plays a crucial role. AI and machine learning are aiding in product recommendations for specific customers. “We want you to feel like it knows you a bit more than just a website. We need to acknowledge that the channels play a different role. But we now have technologies that allow us to potentially bring the voice of our stylists and bring that way of shopping to a conversational prompt on the website,” Almeida said.
The in-store and digital experiences are closely intertwined, with 80 percent of in-store shoppers visiting Nordstrom’s website prior, Almeida said, noting that the retailer is leveraging the digital side to better aid with in-store service. “We’re bringing elements of the online shopping behavior onto that recommendation engine that the stylist is using while in-store,” he said. “That’s how we deliver on the promise that Nordstrom knows you — it’s now reinforced between the behavior of both channels. That’s one of the big areas of opportunity.”
On the logistics side, the retailer has become adept at using the stores as fulfillment hubs to enable faster delivery times or in-store pickup options. “We continue to work on all the capabilities that allow us to fully integrate these shopping journeys,” Almeida said. Case in point, “If you buy certain items that qualify for alterations, we want to make that appointment and experience much easier and smoother. We continue working toward eliminating friction and connecting the dots.”
Both executives agreed that while service varies slightly by category, they keep quality consistent. “A significant percentage of our beauty purchases may be more replenishment purchases, and you may not need as much assistance,” Almeida said. “Shoes is about having the full extended sizes and styles. In other categories, it’s maybe easier to find you another black shirt or black jacket. It’s shopping behavior by category, and then we adjust the service level that we give accordingly.”
Much of that includes the proliferation of the Nordstrom Local concept. “We allow customers to pick up their orders in that space, they do returns in that space, they do alterations, they can have a styling appointment,” Chandler said. “We don’t carry product there — it really is about service. And it’s a wonderful example of customers saying they have to make a return but don’t feel like going to the store.”
