Back in August when Nordstrom announced it would offer free shipping and returns for all online orders, Jamie Nordstrom, president of Nordstrom Direct, said the service was "reflective of how customers increasingly want to shop online and we hope this change makes it easier and more convenient to shop with us."
Fast forward to the present and Nordstrom is again seeking to meet the needs of its customers while gaining a competitive edge using deliveries. The difference is that this time the department store is offering the free service for any items bought in its stores.
"Shipping costs are something that have been known to stop customers in their tracks," Mr. Nordstrom told Bloomberg News. "We have tried to break down those barriers as much as we can."
"Although investors worry that free shipping is a cost, ultimately the growth opportunity in sales far surpasses that," Liz Dunn, an analyst with Macquarie Group, told Bloomberg.
Nordstrom is also testing same-day deliveries for online orders for a $10 flat rate.