Nordstrom

Nordstrom, Inc. is an American upscale fashion retailer, founded by John W. Nordstrom and Carl F. Wallin and headquartered in Seattle, Washington. The company began as a shoe retailer and has since expanded its inventory to include clothing, accessories, handbags, jewelry, cosmetics, and fragrances. Select Nordstrom stores also have wedding and home furnishing departments. There are 271 stores operating in 36 states, which includes 117 full-line stores and 151 Nordstrom Racks. Nordstrom also serves customers through Nordstrom.com, the newly developed e-commerce site nordstromrack.com, and its online private sale site, HauteLook. In addition, Nordstrom operates one clearance store, along with two Jeffrey boutiques. Nordstrom, Inc.’s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN. The company has announced plans to open six stores in Canada beginning in 2014, as well as its first namesake in New York City in 2018. Nationally, Nordstrom competes with luxury retailers Bloomingdale’s, Lord & Taylor, Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Von Maur as well as middle class retailers such as Macy’s, Dillard’s and Belk. Of those competitors, Nordstrom has both the largest number of store locations and the largest geographic footprint, and its stores anchor many upscale malls throughout the United States.