The History of Nordstrom

In 1887, John W. Nordstrom left Sweden for the United States at just 16 years old with only $5 to his name. After years as a migrant worker, he made $13,000 while searching for gold in Alaska and the Klondike region in 1897. He then settled in Seattle, where a friend he had met in Alaska, Carl F. Wallin, offered him a partnership in a shoe store. In 1901, the two men opened Wallin & Nordstrom at Fourth and Pike in Seattle. They added a second store in 1923 and in 1928, Nordstrom retired and sold his shares to his sons; Wallin also sold his shares to Nordstrom’s sons soon after. By 1960, the company had expanded to 8 locations and was considered the largest independent shoe store chain in the country. Moreover, the downtown Seattle shop had become the single largest shoe store in the country. Wanting to expand into the women’s clothing market, the Nordstrom brothers acquired Seattle-based Best's Apparel in 1963, then purchased a Portland-based fashion retailer just three years later. By 1966, the chain was offering Northwest shoppers a large selection of shoes as well as apparel for women, men, and children. When the company went public in 1971, the name was formally changed to Nordstrom, Inc. In 1973, Nordstrom became the largest-volume fashion specialty store on the West Coast. That same year, the first Nordstrom Rack opened on the lower level of the downtown Seattle store (the first standalone Nordstrom Rack location opened in 1983 in Oregon). Both Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores expanded across the country in the following years. In 1998, Norstrom.com debuted and the “Buy Online, Pick Up in Store" option was rolled out 10 years later. The first Nordstrom mobile app launched in 2011 and in 2014, NordstromRack.com launched. The SPACE department was launched in certain locations in 2015 to showcase various designers. As of 2019, Nordstrom reportedly reached pay equity and in 2020, the chain launched Nordstrom BEAUTYCYCLE, a beauty takeback and recycling program. At the close of 2021, Nordstrom ceased selling products made with animal fur or exotic animal skin. Today, Nordstrom remains one of the most well-known and fashionable department stores in the country; the well-known Nordstrom NYC flagship store remains the brand’s largest single-project investment and houses 320,000 square feet of retail space on seven different levels.