Nordstrom begins hiring spree for men's store amid retail challenges
Retailer Nordstrom (NYSE:JWN) will begin hiring 250 employees for its new standalone menswear store in New York City on Wednesday, at a time when many traditional retailers are downsizing or adopting new strategies to cope with declining store traffic and e-commerce rivals.
Nordstrom says sales and support positions based at the men’s store will be posted online as of Jan. 3. The company is hiring sales representatives for men’s apparel, shoes, grooming and other sectors, as well as support roles in areas like housekeeping and loss prevention. Nordstrom promoted its hiring effort with full-size banners at its men’s store location, as well as a digital and social media campaign.
"This is an exciting and historic time to be a part of Nordstrom as we prepare to open our first full-line store in one of the best retail cities in the world," Nordstrom Men’s Store manager Cailin Caro said in a press release. "We're building an empowered team of people focused on service and providing customers with an elevated experience that reflects the best of what we have to offer."
The men’s store is set to open in April 2018 as part of Nordstrom’s push to refurbish its business amid a challenging retail environment. The chain is expected to open a full-line flagship store in New York in 2019 and is also experimenting with smaller-format and discount locations. At present, Nordstrom operates 366 store locations across 40 states.
Nordstrom has also explored the possibility of taking its business private, though talks appeared to have stalled in late 2017, according to multiple reports.
Unlike many of its competitors, Nordstrom has largely avoided the struggles that competitors like Macy’s and JC Penney have faced in the last year. Company shares are up roughly 3% since January 2017.
Traditional retailers have seen revenues plunge in recent years as more customers rely on e-commerce for their shopping. Some 50 retailers declared bankruptcy in 2017, marking a six-year high. Many others, including Macy’s, JC Penney and J. Crew, shuttered store locations.