Nordstrom Sees More E-commerce, Mobile Commerce in its Future

Author:

Amy Martinez

Source:

As someone who works in downtown Seattle and lives in Renton, Chelsea Shipp tends to not be very far from a Nordstrom store at any given time.

But because she finds the Web's 24-hour browsability and home delivery hard to beat, the longtime Nordstrom customer increasingly goes online when she wants to refresh her wardrobe.

"If I just need a pair of black pumps, I don't need to go to a store," Shipp, 31, said. "I know the size and style I'm looking for, so why not buy it online."

Shipp, a sharply dressed management consultant, represents the changing face of Nordstrom customers.

The Internet is Nordstrom's fastest-growing channel and, with $1.5 billion in cash on hand, it's spending heavily to support that growth, meaning more jobs at its Seattle headquarters.

The 111-year-old company is working on new mobile shopping options and personalization features, so that visitors to its website might soon receive recommendations based on their online and in-store buying habits.

It's also testing a local same-day delivery service for a possible broader rollout, and it's expanding its merchandise assortment online to give customers...