Is Nordstrom Fast Fashion? An Expert Breakdown!
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Nordstrom is one of the biggest American fashion retailers with a drive towards helping people find their ideal style instead of just selling fashion. It has always believed in providing the best shopping experience and making it better every single day. It has been committed to fashion since the first day and it has not wavered even though decades have passed.
It was established by John W. Nordstrom, a Swedish citizen who left the country at 16 and traveled to the United States. He barely had any money but had a strong determination to make a name for himself. He did odd jobs to save money and opened his first store in 1901. The company was passed onto the owners’ sons and by 1960, it grew into one of the biggest shoe stores in America.
Eventually, it also delved into producing apparel for women and men and opened even more stores across the country. The growth of Nordstrom cannot be called explosive as it did not happen overnight, instead, it grew organically. It saw steady growth throughout the years since it was established and by the 1907s, it passed $100 million in sales.
It refused to stay back even in the digital world and created a website in 1998 to provide customers with easier access to all of its collections. Another advantage it provides to customers is a Buy Online and Pick Up in Store option. Customers buy items online and can visit any store to pick up the stuff.
Nordstrom’s website is quite minimalistic to see because it uses a white background with a simple bold font to display all of its renowned collections. Just like the clothing it offers; the display is also elegant and contemporary. In celebration of different events like Christmas, it changes the theme of the website to suit the season. Right now, in November, the layout is festive with greens and reds.
Sustainability Rating: 4/10
Category: Clothing, Accessories, Shoes, Beauty Products
For: Women, Men, Kids
Products: Dresses, Tees, Jackets, Shoes, Make-up
Style: Trendy, Casual, Elegant
Quality: Low
Prices: -
Size: 2XS – 4XL (International Size)
Fabrics: Polyester, Polyester Blend, Acrylic, Cotton, Cotton Blend, Elastane, Nylon, Viscose, Linen, Silk
100% Organic: No
100% Vegan: No
Ethical and Fair: No
Recycling: No
Manufacturing Countries: Not transparent enough
Certifications: Not transparent enough
The brand is quite attentive towards charitable causes and believes in giving back to the community. It donates a portion of all of its earnings to save people and animals in need. It also participates in worker empowerment programs and gives charity regularly. Mirroring such generous efforts, the brand is also forthcoming to its employees.
It believes in fostering an equitable and friendly environment where each individual is treated equally and feels comfortable while working. It is also big on positive reinforcement so that employees feel encouraged in a diverse and inclusive environment. It is constantly evolving to give more voice to the employees so that they have a say in the workings of the company. This is the reason it has been ranked on the 2023 Forbes list of World’s Best Employers and World’s Top Companies for Women.
It considers participating in the move towards a safer and cleaner planet a responsibility. It passionately talks about ingraining sustainability in every part of its supply chain on the website. The owner, Pete Nordstrom talks about being eco-conscious in the following words,
“We hope that together with our customers, we can work toward a more sustainable future for us and generations to come.”
It creates some of its products using recycled plastic bottles and only categorizes an item as sustainable when at least 50% of it is made of sustainable material and certified by Fair Trade. It became a member of SAC (Sustainable Apparel Coalition) which works to incorporate sustainability in fashion. This program also rates companies based on how sustainable they are and Nordstrom received a C+ which is an average score that proves that Nordstrom still has a lot of area for improvement.
This establishes the point that Nordstrom is a fast fashion brand. It introduces cute and trendy clothes every other week at fairly affordable prices for a large population. In addition, as such companies work on the rapid production and selling of items, the products are often low quality and lose their shine and color after a few wears.
Companies like Nordstrom are also not careful about being sustainable because taking eco-conscious steps requires money which they are reluctant to spend. So instead of using premium materials like organic cotton and recycled polyester, they use normal cotton and polyester that are not biodegradable and eventually end up in landfills which not only increases land pollution but also produces carbon monoxide.
Nordstrom lists what sort of packaging it considers as responsible packaging and its criteria include 50% recycled material, can be refilled, and should be FSC certified. However, the brand does not specify that these apply to only a few of its products and the rest of the products are made of regular materials that harm the environment.
The GoodOnYou directory gives it a rating of Not Good Enough because it talks more about sustainability than actually taking action for it. A look into its website would make you believe that Nordstrom is one of the most eco-friendly brands out there but the truth is that it has sustainably embellished its website to an extent that it makes one think so. In reality, it still has a long way to go before it can be called sustainable.
Moreover, it is not transparent about any of its manufacturing processes and factories due to which it received a rating of only 17% by the 2022 Fashion Transparency Index. It is also accused of using labor in Asian countries because it costs less and the people are forced to work at less than the minimum livable wage. Ironically, it boasts about its Code of Conduct on the website where it states the brand’s rejection of slavery and forced labor and promises to provide safe working conditions for employees. The lack of transparency by the company, however, says differently.
In conclusion, Nordstrom is taking some steps towards sustainability but they are not enough to categorize it as a sustainable brand. It needs to put in a lot more effort to source eco-friendly materials and adopt ethical practices at factories to be considered a truly sustainable brand.
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