SEATTLE, Jan. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Following a
year that required more self-reflection, listening and
compassion than ever before, Nordstrom is beginning 2021
with a renewed focus on its commitment to
community. With a long-held belief in the value of
diversity, Nordstrom is working to play an active role in
contributing to the positive change required to address
systemic racial inequity.
"We are a part of the communities
we serve, and that means we have a
responsibility to create a sense of welcoming and belonging
for all," said Pete Nordstrom, chief brand officer and
president of Nordstrom, Inc. "We know our impact extends beyond our
own walls and we're committed to taking steps to be
a part of the solution by making Nordstrom a better, more
inclusive and anti-racist company for our employees, customers,
partners and communities."
Based on this commitment,
the leading fashion retailer set a series
of goals in August 2020 to
address its most pressing opportunities related to
diversity, inclusion and belonging. Among other things, these
goals address:
- increasing Black and Latinx representation among its managers
by at least 50%;
- delivering $500M in retail sales
from brands owned by, operated by or designed by Black and/or
Latinx individuals;
- increasing charitable donations to organizations that promote
anti-racism to $1M per year for the
next five years.
"These goals represent the next phase of our journey to be
a better company, not the finish line. We're committed to doing the
work, being transparent about our progress, listening to feedback
and holding ourselves accountable," said Farrell Redwine, senior
vice president of Human Resources at Nordstrom.
In honor of February's Black
History Month, Nordstrom is preparing to
celebrate Black-owned brands and amplify their voices through
various merchandise categories in store and online.
"We're committed to improving the diversity of the vendors we
partner with across all parts of our business," said
Teri Bariquit, chief merchandising officer at Nordstrom.
"We're making strong progress to find and support diverse brands
and we are very excited to introduce them to our customers. Most
importantly, these brands and the products they offer help us meet
the diverse needs of our customers, while continuing to create the
inspiration and discovery they expect to find when shopping at
Nordstrom."
More specifically, the company is excited to bring the
following new products and experiences to
customers:
- Nordstrom is continuing the expansion of its Inclusive
Beauty category, originally launched in October 2020 to
make it easier for customers to find the products that meet their
unique needs – no matter skin or hair type, tone, complexion
or texture. Nordstrom Beauty
is proud to announce partnerships
with 12 new Black founded brands this month
including Sienna Naturals, 54 Thrones,
Rosen, UnSun, Brown Girl Jane, Auda B, London
Grant, Spraise, Buttah, Beneath Your Mask, AJ Crimson,
and most notably, Uoma.
- Nordstrom at Home will launch GOODEE brand this month, a Black
founded brand by designers and creatives Byron and Dexter Peart. GOODEE offers
sustainable solutions for modern living through working exclusively
with artisans. The brand offers products that make a positive
social or environmental impact through curating a unique global
marketplace with unique storytelling.
- New Concepts @Nordstrom will launch Concept 012: Black_Space a
national retail platform for designers, creatives and thought
leaders across varied perspectives and experiences representing
Black culture. Black_Space will include an immersive shopping
experience across 12 Nordstrom locations nationwide and on
Nordstrom.com for representation where it has not previously
existed at Nordstrom – developed, designed and curated by Black
voices. A brainchild of Sam Lobban,
Senior Vice President of Designer and New Concepts, New Concepts
@Nordstrom is an ongoing series of digital and physical pop-up
retail concept shops for customers to discover the newest products
through exclusive partnerships with the world's most compelling
brands and creatives.
- During the months of February and March, the Nordstrom NYC
flagship will unveil their latest Center Stage pop-up showcasing
Black-owned brands across beauty, clothing, shoes and accessories.
Customers are invited to explore, shop and get to know the stories
and founders behind them, including Sharon
Chuter of UOMA Beauty, Nancy
Twine of Briogeo Hair Care, Miko
Underwood of Oak & Acorn ~ Only for the Rebelles,
Erika Dayla Massaquoi of The OULA
Company, Elann Zelie of Zelie for
She, John Dean of Renowned,
Jessica Rich of her eponymous shoe
brand, and Corianna and Brianna
Dotson of Coco and Breezy Eyewear.
- Nordstrom Made is introducing a new collection of intimates in
a range of skin tones and sizes. Nordstrom partnered with members
of the community to design and name each piece, engaging them for
feedback on size, fit and color. This collection will launch in
March and will feature seamless pieces made with jersey and
lightweight fabrics.
These new partnerships build on a strong foundation the company
has established for itself, with an emphasis on creating an
environment where its customers feel a sense of belonging and
employees can be themselves, contribute their ideas, be heard and
do their best work. Previous accomplishments and partnerships
include:
- Reaching 100% pay equity and nearly 100% pay parity in 2019,
with an established plan for continued maintenance;
- Improved employee diversity, with women representing 68% of all
employees; 60% of leadership;
- Adding diversity within its Board of Directors; five of 11 are
women and three are people of color;
- Supporting the important work of nonprofit organizations
including NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Black Lives
Matter Global Network Foundation and the National Urban League,
among others.
Earlier this year, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day (January 18), Nordstrom joined forces with
long-term partner the National Urban League to host a day of
employee volunteering and learning. With a focus on
making MLK Day a "day on" rather than a "day off," together
Nordstrom and National Urban League
connected employees with virtual volunteer opportunities
and educational resources to learn more about Dr.
King's work and ways to honor and
build upon his legacy.
Additional details on these launches
and Nordstrom's commitment to community through
diversity, inclusion and belonging can be found on the Nordstrom Press Room.
ABOUT NORDSTROM
Nordstrom, Inc. is a leading fashion retailer based in the U.S.
Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 358 stores
in the U.S. and Canada, including
100 Nordstrom stores; 249 Nordstrom Rack stores; two clearance
stores; and seven Nordstrom Local service hubs. Additionally,
customers are served online through Nordstrom.com, Nordstrom.ca,
Nordstromrack.com, HauteLook.com and TrunkClub.com. Nordstrom,
Inc.'s common stock is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol
JWN.
Media Contact
Emily
Sterken
NordstromPR@Nordstrom.com
1-877-746-6228
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SOURCE Nordstrom, Inc.