Nordstrom

Yes the store!
Blake Nordstrom was a Beta. Maybe you recognize the name. Nordstrom, as in… Nordstrom. Yes, Blake is the CEO and chairman of the clothing giant Nordstrom. And before him, there was Bruce Nordstrom. And before him, Everett Nordstrom. All of whom were Betas.
*Nordstrom was founded in 1901 as a shoe store by a Swedish immigrant (John Nordstrom) and the owner of a shoe repair shop. You read that right- before the boom of capitalism (and sweat shops), you had to actually repair your shoes instead of tossing them and picking up a new pair. And there were cobblers. No, not delicious fruit-filled treats, but people who worked on shoes! For a living! We’ve come a long way.
*It wasn’t until 1963 that Nordstrom acquired the Best Apparel store and started selling apparel.
*Oh, but this isn’t just a clothing store. The Nordstroms recognized another fundamental human need (other than the need for the cutest seasonal fashions!): the need to eat. Why not combine the two into one? What a great idea! Thus, the Nordstrom Café was born. It specializes in “quick fix” sandwiches, snacks, and smoothies.
*Nordstrom has grown methodically throughout the years (and more so recently). There are now 101 full-time stores (and a number of smaller stores owned by Nordstrom) in 28 states.
*There are a planned 50 new stores within the next 10 years. For the math majors, that’s like 5 a year.
*Nordstrom is known for its customer service. Employees are very well-trained. The store itself will refund an item bought at another store for the full purchase price if they carry the item. And sometimes even if they don’t carry it. There’s a “legend” of a customer buying tires from a department store. When the store changed hands and became a Nordstrom, the customer tried to return the tires but didn’t realize there was something different about the store (i.e. everything was different). Nordstrom doesn’t carry tires because, well, they sell clothes. And unless some designer was to come out with a new line of tire-fashion, this guy was out of luck. But Nordstrom went and refunded the tires anyway.
*In 2007 Nordstrom was listed at 24 in Fortune Magazine’s 100 Best Companies to Work For and have been ranked highly for many years- they’ve actually gained hall of fame status on the list. They were also ranked 286 on the Fortune 500.
*Nordstrom continues to sell upper-end clothing and accessories around the country.
Ah yes, I hope we’re all feeling a little more cultured and stylish after this week. A recap of what we covered: Nordstom is and has been run by Betas; the company sells high-end clothes and is a great place to work; and, they’ll pretty much take anything you’re willing to give them.