If Pete Nordstrom has a pep in his step as he gives a tour of his family’s luxury department store flagship in Manhattan, it’s because he is starting to see signs that his executive team’s efforts to rejuvenate the 125-year-old retailer are working.
As he walks the store’s street-level floor, he proudly shows off the recent overhaul of the beauty section: While Nordstrom still offers the decades-old department store counter service, it has added a lot of the self-service, discovery-centered style favored by shoppers at Sephora and its ilk. The beauty section still stocks the luxury brands you’d expect, but has added hip, less pricey items to help Nordstrom reach a wider clientele.
