Bad news from Nordstrom, good news for shoppers
October 17th, 2007The US Apparel sector is having a hard time at the moment. Data from MasterCard spending and reports from the retailers themselves show that sales were weak this September. Consumer spending is down a little because of the rising gas prices and a difficult housing market; and unseasonally warm weather “quelled demand for fall fashions” in particular. Analysts also point out that the year on year comparison is tough (September 2006 was a particularly good month).
My own favourite American department store, Nordstrom (which normally beats Wall Street estimates), announced late last week that sales figures would rise less than expected. It is resorting to additional markdowns to reduce inventory levels. Smaller margins for Nordstrom means better prices for us, so there definitely is a silver lining for shoppers. Be on the lookout for good deals!
As an ex fashion buyer, I look to the merchandise when sales drop. While the other factors do have an undeniable impact on retail sales, the strength of the product is key. If the merchandise at Nordstrom was up to scratch in both in style and value this season, sales might not be so soft. I am a loyal Nordies girl and choose to spend many fashion dollars there, but I have not been as enticed lately. And the same holds true for my clients.
Let’s hope the sales are good and the floors are cleared to make space for the much anticipated holiday lines. It looks like the weather may start to lend a helping hand.
October 17th, 2007 at 9:29 am
Angie, how did you get into the buyer industry? Do you have an old post that has this information?
October 17th, 2007 at 9:42 am
I don’t Sara. I became a buyer in 1994..this was a long time ago!
October 17th, 2007 at 10:11 am
I’m a Nordies girl too and share many of your sentiments. Would like to see better lines of pants–generally shop else where for them. I do hope the holiday line is beefed up–it is marginal at this time. Would like to see some of the basic tops/shirts in longer lengths too–most everything is too short in the sleeves and general length. However–their customer service can’t be beat and keeps me continually going back for more.
October 17th, 2007 at 10:33 am
I agree with everything you say Joey. I am most disappointed with their line of dresses, skirts, boots and coats. The goodies in their collections that remain delicious are extremely expensive and too dear for my pocket. Macy’s ( if you can mange to keep your wits about you and not get overwhelmed in their stores) has on the whole had a superior range of coats, trenches and dresses this season.
But their service is impeccable, and it keep me going back into their stores.
October 17th, 2007 at 2:42 pm
I strongly prefer Nordstrom to Macy’s in terms of quality, selection, online shopping convenience etc. (Nordstrom has one the BEST dept store website by a mile). However, I too have felt a bit disappointed (or considering my budget, gladdened?) by the fall stuff — there are lots of great pieces, but there’s also lots of stuff that I think is just a bit suburban and not as interesting.
Not so much in terms of coats, where I think they are pricy but strong, but in terms of more day to day items, I feel like they are trying to serve a less fashiony crowd. This is what I expect from Nordstrom: http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2933566 but this season there’s a lot of http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2934318 and http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2948651
October 18th, 2007 at 12:55 am
I also prefer Nordstrom above Macy’s in every way. Macy’s has some good stuff, but they’re really hard to find with all the disarray, confusion, and uncaring salespeople. Nordstrom has great customer service and even though I’ve been seeing more inexperienced sales staff lately (why do they always make a beeline for me?), they are still superior over all.
Don’t have much spending money at the moment so didn’t really browse Nordstrom’s new collections yet, but I always get my shoes there during sales, in addition to stocking up on cashmere basics (Bloomingdales is also good for this). The Nordstrom store-brand cashmere wraps for example are great staples for me, the quality is great, I get one every year and now I have 4 in different colors. I use one practically every day either as a wrap, a scarf, or a blanket when I read!
November 5th, 2007 at 8:50 am
[…] for their selection of emerging designers. Being a loyal Nordies shopper (and given that they are going through a rough patch at the moment), this made my heart […]
December 14th, 2007 at 8:31 am
[…] performance we’ve been seeing recently in apparel retail. Although November was a good month, September was very weak and October was only marginally […]
February 1st, 2008 at 4:35 pm
Angie,
I am going to school for a merchandising degree & I’m interested in the feild that you’re in right now. We have an assignment to do an informational interview on someone in our field of interest. I would like to do a short interview with you if you have the time. *Thanx*