I. Introduction

The purpose of our report is to examine the daily operations, specifically the inventory management, of Nordstrom retail department store in Edison, New Jersey. Our report will help us better understand how Nordstrom receives its products from their supplier and gets it to the hands of their customers. As a group, we will also try to suggest ways to better improve Nordstrom’s inventory management process.

As a top company in the retail industry, Nordstrom specializes in a chain of department stores selling clothing, footwear, betting, furniture, jewelry, beauty products, and house wares. They have 240 U.S. stores located in 31 stores. Nordstrom operates 117 Full-line stores, 119 Nordstrom Racks, two Jeffrey boutiques, one treasure and bond store and one clearance store. Nordstrom also serves customers through its online presence and through its catalogs.

Looking ahead, the company plans to open three new full-line stores in 2014, followed by the opening of its first Manhattan store in 2018. Nordstrom expects to reach a total of 230 Rack stores by 2016. Plans are under way to open Nordstrom’s first full-line stores in Canada at premier shopping centers in Calgary, Ottawa, Toronto, and Vancouver.