Nordstrom's In-Store and Online Functions and Customer Experience
Module 3 - Case
MARKETING STRATEGY AND INCLUSIVE MARKETING COMMUNICATIONS
Assignment Overview
Strategies and Target Marketing
While online shopping had been growing over the last decade, 2020’s pandemic and lockdowns propelled the activity to new heights. We will use this case to look at how online vs. in-store shopping is presented.
Case 3 Resources
1) Target Market (2022) - https://www(dot)investopedia(dot)com/terms/t/target-market.asp
2) The Nature and Functions of Distribution (Place) (2022) - https://openstax(dot)org/books/introduction-business/pages/12-1-the-nature-and-functions-of-distribution-place
3) Using Supply Chain Management to Increase Efficiency and Customer Satisfaction (2022) https://openstax(dot)org/books/introduction-business/pages/12-4-using-supply-chain-management-to-increase-efficiency-and-customer-satisfaction
4) Promotion Strategy (2022) - https://openstax(dot)org/books/introduction-business/pages/12-5-promotion-strategy
5) Sales Promotion (2022) - https://openstax(dot)org/books/introduction-business/pages/12-8-sales-promotion
6) The Huge Impact of Advertising (2022) - https://openstax(dot)org/books/introduction-business/pages/12-6-the-huge-impact-of-advertising
7) Online Shopping vs In Store Shopping – Infographics (2022) https://www(dot)motocms(dot)com/blog/en/online-shopping-vs-in-store-shopping/
Case Assignment
Online vs. In-Store
Using the module’s readings and at least one article published in 2020 or 2021 from Trident Library’s Business Source Complete (EBSCO), a full-text database, research marketing strategy, and target marketing for online vs. store-based business.
Company Background
Select a business that has both online and physical stores. Provide a background of the company; define the target market. Cite and reference your sources. (1/2 page) IBISWorld, used in Module 1, may be a good resource.
The In-Store Experience
Research how the company promotes its store. Look to social media, traditional marketing, and articles about the store’s strategy. Provide an overview of how the store communicates with consumers. Consider its target markets. Cite and reference your sources. (1 page)
Online Shopping
Research how the company promotes its online shopping. Look to social media, its online store, and articles about the site’s strategy. Provide an overview of how the online store communicates with consumers. Consider its target markets. Cite and reference your sources. (1 page)
Making Connections
Based on the research above, compare and contrast how the company markets its two shopping situations. Provide rationale. Cite and reference your sources. (1/2 page)
No quotations are permitted in this paper. Each paragraph (except the introduction and conclusion) must contain at least one in-text citation.
Since you are engaging in research, be sure to cite and reference the sources in APA format. NOTE: failure to use research with accompanying citations to support content will result in reduced scoring “Level 2-Developing” on the grading rubric.
This is a professional paper, not a personal one based on feelings. It must be written in the third person; this means words like “I”, “we”, and “you” are not appropriate.
Assignment Expectations
Use the attached APA-formatted template (MKT301 Case3) to create your submission.
The template is set up in APA 7: double-spacing, font, margins, headings, page breaks, APA help links.
Your submission will include:
Cover page
A paper with APA citations (2- to 3-sentence introduction, 3-page body, 2- to 3-sentence conclusion)
The reference list page in APA format
MKT301 Case 3
Your Name
Trident University International
MKT301 Principles of Marketing
Due Date
MKT301 Case 3
The omnichannel retail strategy of combining in-store and online sales and marketing is agrowing phenomenon among department stores. Omnichannel strategies are favored for their ability to unite customer experiences across several customer touchpoints including traditional brick-and-mortar and digital devices. This essay will analyze Nordstrom's in-store and online functions to determine its efficiency in creating a seamless customer shopping experience.
Company Background
Nordstrom is an American high-end department store specializing in men's, women's, and children's clothing and shoes and assorted home accessories like bedding, bath, music, dining, home décor, kitchen, and pantry wares. John W. Nordstrom, a Swedish immigrant, 1901 founded the chain outlet. The retailer started as a shoe store and became a full-line retailer in 1971 when it expanded its merchandise to include clothing and home accessories. Nordstrom's growing reputation saw its annual sales surpass the $100 million mark just two years later when it became the largest-volume fashion specialty store on the West Coast (Nordstrom, Inc., 2020). In 1998, the third generation of Nordstrom family members decided to open an e-commerce website. By 2009, the company was a leading online retailer with a developed order fulfillment and inventory management capability.
The company's mature omnichannel retail strategy currently serves 96 countries: Nordstrom provides customers with a fully integrated retail and online shopping experience. An organization's target market can be demography, geography, psychography, and behavior (Kenton, 2022). The company's target market is middle to upper-class families who are not only fashion conscious but are willing to pay more for a compelling selection of fashion and home accessory products.
The In-Store Experience
Nordstrom promotes its stores by focusing on customer experience. In a constantly changing industry, the retailing giant has promoted its national store infrastructure by implementing innovations around the customer experience. The department store has a highly curated shopping process to provide customers with the best customer experience possible. Promotion is an attempt to persuade or remind customers of the marketer's product offerings, eliciting a positive response and generating sales (OpenStax, 2018). For instance, the ambiance of its stores is consistent with its status as a high-department chain. Upon entering the store, customers are welcomed with chic decorative and visual aspects that communicate a premium feeling about the brand. The stores are kid-friendly, and families can shop while the children have fun. Another element of Nordstrom's in-store shopping experience is its service: the retailer has invested in training its employees to activate all customer touchpoints toward customer satisfaction and brand recognition. The frontline staff is informative in their fashion advice and keen on helping customers with inquiries or selecting items that fit their fashion choices. The buying process is speedy and simple: the checkout process times have been reduced to a minimum, and customers do not have to worry about lengthy or complicated checkout processes.
Nordstrom also has a wide and varied selection of fashion and home assessor items. The company understands that ensuring the best customer in-store experience goes hand in hand with the flexibility of options. Nordstrom's customers seek unique products that reflect their fashion tastes and speak directly to them. A promotion strategy aims to get customers to try products; therefore, providing a broad array of product offerings is likely to elicit a positive customer response (OpenStax, 2018). The company's stores are always packed with many new items to meet customers' preferences. Another element of Nordstrom's in-store experience is customer feedback. Customers are encouraged to provide honest feedback on their store experience through customer reviews. The retailer gathers and analyzes these reviews to gain useful insights on improvement. Customers can post their in-store experiences on the company's website and social media platforms as social proof. Publishing both positive and negative reviews communicates the brand's commitment to excellence.
Online Shopping
Nordstrom u...