A Cultured Pearl

The Other Side

Posted on July 13th, 2017

Today is a big day in the world of bloggers, fashion lovers, and American retail. Truly Christmas in July– the start of the annual Anniversary Sale at Nordstrom! But while other bloggers are plastering their pages and social media platforms with their sale picks (which, given the thousands and thousands of items, is truly appreciated!), I’m coming at this from a different angle. In fact, Nordstrom employees are not even allowed to shop the sale until the end of the day next Friday. We make sure you guys get the good stuff first!

Hello from the other side of major retail mania. In case you’ve ever wondered, I am providing a glimpse into what it is like to be on the corporate side of a store’s craziest time of year. Retail is highly seasonal, so these key peaks can make or break the year.

Yes, I need a manicure, and yes, I bite my lip when I work.

Since we’re staying in Manhattan for a few weeks, I don’t have my usual set up of monitors and equipment, but my laptop is getting the job done. I am working anywhere and everywhere that has a strong enough wifi signal for my VPN connection. Within marketing, my role is not quite as in the weeds as some and has more of a tops-down vantage point. I am not the one, for example, determining our target cost per click on a specific shoes initiative, but am more likely the one to monitor how one tactic is performing as compared to another, and to recommend we change our overarching investment strategies accordingly.

But if it’s Anniversary, you can be sure we’re…

Monitoring key performance indicators. Of course we are always keeping a pulse on our performance, both within marketing and beyond, but on days like today we keep hourly tabs on how we’re tracking as compared to forecasted trends and last year’s numbers. This enables us to be agile and optimize nimbly.

Working at all hours. Night shifts, weekend shifts, you name it. Content is being shared with customers 24/7, so we’re there every step of the way. For example, I know that I will be working on a specific initiative from 5-7pm every day of the sale, weekends included.

Coming together. To tell the full story, we need to understand the themes coming out of merchandising, supply chain, brick & mortar stores, and beyond. Marketing wouldn’t want to send an email featuring a dress that’s only left in size 8, and on the flip side, if the merchants have a particular item they want help selling, marketing needs to know that, too.

Listening! To customers on social media, to bloggers, to anyone who contacts the customer care center. In order to best serve customers in services, product, and messaging, we need to understand what is and is not working for them.

Putting customers first. After all, it is the Nordstrom way. This sale is a huge part of what defines our brand, and we want to make sure it reflects our values from all aspects.