Nordstrom tries a no-merchandise store


Nordstrom announced plans to launch a new inventory-free concept store that it envisions as a neighborhood gathering spot where customers can go for free personal styling consultations, to try on clothes and then have them delivered to the location for pickup.
The concept known as Nordstrom Local, will debut next month in West Hollywood, CA. The 3,000-square-foot store includes eight dressing rooms for customers to try on clothing. Because the store does not carry inventory for sale, on-staff personal stylists will either retrieve clothing that customers wish to purchase from nine Nordstrom stores in the Los Angeles area or order items online. Customers who place orders by 2:00 p.m. will be able to pick them up on the same day.
Other services offered through Nordstrom Local will include curbside pickup, Trunk Club, alterations/tailoring and manicures. Customers can return orders to any Nordstrom location.
“As the retail landscape continues to transform at an unprecedented pace, the one thing we know that remains constant is that customers continue to value great service, speed and convenience,” said Shea Jensen, Nordstrom senior vice president of customer experience who led the Nordstrom Local initiative. “We know there are more and more demands on a customer’s time and we wanted to offer our best services in a convenient location to meet their shopping needs. Finding new ways to engage with customers on their terms is more important to us now than ever.”
The store will feature a central meeting space surrounded by the eight dressing rooms. Customers can sit in the area to enjoy a glass of wine or beer and to talk with their Personal Stylist. Appointments with stylists can be made online, over-the-phone or in-person. Nordstrom Local customers can also just walk in to be served by the store’s sales personnel.
The retailer is introducing a new digital tool called Nordstrom Style Boards that enables sales people and stylists to post personal recommendations for customers. Customers can also use the app to have direct conversations with salespeople and stylists when they are not in the store.
- Nordstrom Announces Latest Retail Concept: Nordstrom Local – Nordstrom, Inc.
- Nordstrom Tries On a New Look: Stores Without Merchandise – The Wall Street Journal
- Nordstrom to roll out smaller stores with no merchandise, more experiences – CNBC
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS: What will determine the success or failure of Nordstrom Local? Do you think the concept will play well with consumers? Will it have appeal beyond LA?
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31 Comments on "Nordstrom tries a no-merchandise store"
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President/CEO, The Retail Doctor
It seems these are more after-purchase services. When I’m in LA next I plan a visit as the entire concept seems odd. Why would someone “pre-buy” a product and wait for its retrieval? Why not just go to the Grove and browse with a personal shopper? How does this scale to make financial sense for the investment in employee time, real estate, etc.? But (like Amazon often does) Nordstrom owns the “retail buzz” for the day which may be worth more than the actual facility.
Retail Influencer, Speaker and Consultant
I love this idea. Putting experience at the heart of retail is the first building block to success.
We need more details to see if this is going to work out. Will they have a way for consumers to order right away? How quickly will it get delivered? And will the experience continue to evolve or will it be a canned experience every time?
The simplicity of this concept is exciting.
Chief Executive Officer, The TSi Company
I like this concept a lot and have predicted it myself. The store of the future will be smaller with less take-it-home-now items because of the continuing improvement in same-day delivery. This retail concept will keep costs down such as rent, staff and inventory. The only concern is how much ahead of its time Nordstrom may be. LA is the place to test this, but I feel we’re still a good 10 years away if not longer before the “go to the store to see it and touch but not to get it” concept becomes the norm.
Vice President of Marketing, OrderDynamics
Nordstrom is missing a key point. Innovation is great. Having small-footprint pickup and try-on centers is great. However Nordstrom should also put in a few immediate pickup, high sell-velocity items that match the style of those using these drop-in centers. Part of the value proposition of omnichannel retail is that on an in-store pickup, 58 percent of customers buy more goods. Have a few display mannequins, sellable wall art and additional complementary items that the shopper can add to their purchase. It will increase the basket size and enhance the experience.
President, founder and CEO Interactive Edge
I predict it will become a series on Netflix — “Real Shoppers of Nordstrom: LA Edition.” But seriously, I do think it may work as it sounds like a social thing that is fun and will save time. The challenge will be knowing the customer well enough to have the right inventory available to try on in the first place. Right item, right place, right time, etc. It seems like the same logistical problems will make or break this concept.
Principal, Retail Technology Group
I expect that the concept will only work with an assortment of the highest-priced/highest gross-margin products. I don’t foresee too many of these locations opening.
Editor-at-large, RetailWire
That Nordstrom is executing this experiment is a highly positive development for brick-and-mortar retailing. Retail stores, especially department stores and grocery stores, need to change. New designs and configurations are necessary, because, after the difficulties of the past couple of years, the stores of the past and present are not performing. This store concept addresses a number of issues, the most pertinent being the online selling aspect. This store may or may not work or be profitable, but it is a refreshing move in the right direction and may lead to something innovative that will work.
Founder and CEO, CrunchGrowth Revenue Acceleration Agency
I love the concept of a personal stylist. And I applaud the effort to personally connect with customers.
However I am unsure how a lack of inventory will play with the customer. Certainly if you get fitted for clothing, it requires alterations. So I don’t see leaving the store without your purchase as a problem. But if a customer is taking the time to visit the store, I would think they would want to see all of their options.
This probably has selective appeal. I am not certain it has mass appeal.
This concept will be interesting to watch and see how consumers react.
SVP Energy Services and New Ventures, HomeServe
Drinking and buying. That is an advantage for the retailer. The communal low-key relaxed shopping environment may present some opportunities for Nordstrom to differentiate but the instant satisfaction of walking out with something may be too much to overcome. Time will tell on this one.
Principal, Frank Riso Associates, LLC
While this is an interesting idea for Nordstrom, it will be sales that determine its success or failure. I do think the concept would be successful in a few cities, mostly those that have “Housewives of [name your city]” TV shows as a start! However it will not appeal to those who have immediate need for an item. If it lasts a year or more I would be surprised.
The concept and model is excellent, the West Hollywood location is horrible. First, it is exciting to see Savile Row bottled as a bespoke shop for men. Offering features from custom consultation is what made Men’s Wearhouse grow so fast so the elements are there. However, like Savile Row, this model can only be sustained in a high-density big city like Hong Kong, Boston, New York, Chicago or Miami — not West Hollywood.
Managing Director, StoreStream Metrics, LLC
Success for this concept, and all the others that come after it, will be measured by purchases. It will be insightful to see if shoppers will shop today and receive products later. We live in a society that expects instant gratification but perhaps shoppers will be delighted twice — once when they make a selection and then again when they unpack the box. It’ll be exciting to see how it unfolds.
Principal, Retailing In Focus LLC
I’m skeptical about personal stylists without actual merchandise to sell — unless they retrieve items from a nearby store, causing the customer to make two trips. I like the experiential aspect of the concept, but I think it would work better if integrated into an existing store in a significant way.
Managing Director, GlobalData
Regardless of whether this works or not, kudos to Nordstrom for trying and testing new things. This approach is why it is one of the better performing department stores!
Personally, I think it does stand a chance. It is essentially a click-and-collect hub, but with a range of added value services that Nordstrom shoppers in this type of location would find valuable. It provides brand exposure, will reduce shipping costs and should drive incremental revenue.
My only criticism is that it would be sensible to stock at least some merchandise: essential beauty items, maybe a few key fashion items, etc. would all drive impulse purchasing.
Principal, Anne Howe Associates
Kudos to Nordstrom for putting shoppers and service at the center of the retail model instead of inventory. The use of VR tools to enable shoppers to visualize themselves in various styles would help, as would mannequins of realistic skin tones and proportions. Invite influencers, ramp up the social interaction and keep track of how the word spreads. This could be a very real and viable beginning of something that’s very different but effective!
EVP Thought Leadership, Marketing, WD Partners
We tested the idea of showroom stores like this both quantitatively and qualitatively and consumers are more than ready for them. We also know that Bonobos works (Walmart didn’t spend hundreds of millions for nothing) and that Argos in the UK has been doing it successfully for a while. To say nothing of the Apple stores, which are essentially showroom stores. So the time is here. I wish more specialty stores would attempt this idea. If you were Gap and you saw Bonobos working, wouldn’t you try to emulate them? I guess that’s another topic for another day.
Having said all that, it’s going to take a little time for something like this to hit the center of the bell curve. Patience will come in handy, and a little of the old “super associate” experience (ala Bonobos) will be the key to success.
Global Senior Director, Retail Business Unit at SAP
As with the other commentators I applaud Nordstrom for trying new experiences and formats. If they can solve the problem of what jeans fit you better as you age they will have done something good!
Nordstrom goes Seinfeld. It is a show about nothing.
No this isn’t a store about nothing; it is a showroom. Some might call it Bonobos. Back in the day it was Service Merchandise. It is a living catalog.
When did “retail experience” become reduced to just “place?” Not fulfilling the transaction at the point of sale is fine for some shopping goals, but not all. What shopper goals these stores will fulfill and how to retain or grow share of wallet needs to be sorted out.
We are in an amazing place. On one hand there are showrooms and on the other there is same-day delivery. We are plumbing the long tail of shopper expectations.
Seems to be more true than ever, “retail ain’t for sissies!”
CEO & Principal Consultant, Clientricity, LLC
Principal, FutureBest
Maybe I’m not understanding this idea, but won’t it make the shopping trip longer than just browsing, trying on, selecting, buying, then taking it home? Going back to the store to pick the item up isn’t a convenience. This concept is best for someone with lots of time on their hands.
President/CEO, The Retail Doctor
Agreed.
Managing Partner Cambridge Retail Advisors
Retail Industry Consultant, HP
This as an interesting and valuable experiment, but I remain a skeptic on the long-term viability of such a store concept. I struggle to recall a successful implementation of this. As others have pointed out, it requires multiple trips (unless the customer is OK with home delivery) and there is a lost opportunity for impulse buying.
Also, so much of apparel shopping is about discovery. The size of the store would limit SKUs given that they would need significant inventory just to cover the sizes. Potentially, this could work better for male shoppers (think Men’s Warehouse) who require less clothing diversity.
On the plus side, I think they will learn a great deal about customers’ tolerance for delayed gratification and perceived value around service levels. There are also “stylistically challenged” people like me who will find value here — note the growing trend for “wardrobe in a box” online. I suspect Nordstrom will take valuable insights back to their more traditional stores to see the value at scale.
Vice President of Marketing, Reflexis Inc.
The shopper can’t immediately get their purchase, shopper has to try on “samples” (yuck), retailer has to supplement the supply chain with stylist visiting local stores to pick up merchandise, etc. What about this concept works for either the shopper or the retailer? Nordstrom already has a great in-store experience to offer shoppers, so I’m not sure why they would want to create a knock-off experience. The savings in real estate and inventory cost don’t balance out the scale.
VP Planning, TPN Retail
Fun idea. Won’t work. Why not? Because there is no instant gratification. In a bricks and mortar environment, shoppers walk away with a trophy, an object of conquest. In a digital environment, shoppers get quick dopamine rewards.
This idea — while it has merit — doesn’t seem to deliver the addict’s fix. It’s neither fish nor fowl.
Retail Transformation Thought Leader