Nordstrom

Nordstrom agreed to sell some $2.2 billion in credit card receivables to Toronto-based TD Bank Group, which will also have the exclusive right to issue its branded Visa and private-label credit cards in the U.S. For customers, little, if anything, should change, as the Seattle retailer will still manage customer service for the cards. For…

Nordstrom is launching another innovative omnichannel capability to make shopping even easier for its tech-savvy customers. The company says it's launched a shopping-via-text service called TextStyle at all of its 116 U.S. stores. The company says TextStyle is a seamless, secure way for customers to make curated purchases from their salesperson or personal stylist using…

The luxury department store chain laid out its five-year plan for e-commerce and store expansion, showing how it's focused on growth rather than profits. Nordstrom and Amazon.com have a lot more in common than their hometown of Seattle. Just like Amazon, Nordstrom has been spending big on technology, warehouses and expanding into new businesses. And…

Mobile social platforms house the food, clothes, looks and lifestyles people want to live and breathe. This works to the benefit of retailers because it makes for an environment conducive to a seamless experience of consumption. In essence, consumers are ready to shop when they're active on mobile social media platforms. Retailers that will sustain successful businesses are the ones that understand this omnipresent mind-set, and pioneer the routes to connect the intersection of social media and mobile commerce.

Nordstrom is testing curbside pickup for online orders at several stores across the country, including the retailer's downtown Nordstrom flagship store. Customers have had the option to select in-store pickup when buying online since 2008. Now customers at the test location can choose the option of calling or texting as they near the store. A store employee will run the purchase outside so the customer never has to leave his or her car.

Some of us remember a time when manufacturers and retailers wanting to reach their customers would simply place an ad touting their brands and products. Ads could take any of several forms — newspaper, magazine, radio, direct mail and, if the budget allowed, television. The message could be subtle or direct. It would run a number of times according to the ad agency's "proprietary" formula and the consumer would ideally respond by going to their local store to make a purchase.

It's a given that inventory planners are always wrong. I learned this lesson early in my inventory planning career at Lands’ End many years ago. It was understood by the inventory staff that there would be mention at the end-of-year company meeting that inventory negatively affected results. The message was either, "demand was great, unfortunately, we were unable to capture all the sales due to shortage of inventory" or "sales were good, but unfortunately, gross margin suffered due to markdowns to liquidate excess inventory."

Off-price retailing owes a nod to the basement below Filene's, a Boston department store that figured out a way in the early 1900s to get rid of excess inventory at a discount in a stripped-down space below the fancy sales floors upstairs. In the first decade of the last century, few customers would have had cars to drive to an outlet mall in the middle of a corn field somewhere.

Belk Inc is exploring a sale that could value the largest family-owned and operated department store chain in the United States at as much as $4 billion, including debt, people familiar with the matter said on Thursday. Belk has hired investment bank Goldman Sachs Group Inc to help it evaluate strategic alternatives, including a potential sale, the people said. Major department stores, such as Macy's and Nordstrom, as well as large private equity firms are expected to be contacted by Belk to solicit their interest in a deal, the people added.

Ready or not, every consumer-facing company today needs to be mobile. Having a mobile presence is not enough, however. Brands need to have a presence on mobile. The most successful marketers are those who understand how to design and package mobile content in a way that enhances usability. Given limitations in screen size, bandwidth and users' attention spans, mobile marketers have to balance form and function to help users achieve their goals with as little friction in the process as possible. Below are four best practices for a winning mobile experience: