Nordstrom online, As Good As The Original!
by erinrounds - Written: Nov 30 '01 (Updated May 07 '02)
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The Bottom Line
While not the cheapest place to shop online, Nordstrom offers a nice array of merchandise that they will stand behind.
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| Full Review |
What started out initially as a site launched a few years back to sell shoes, albeit lots and lots of shoes, specialty shoes and hard to find shoes, has morphed into one great site offering products for the whole family.
In case you happen to be in an area without a Nordstrom store near you; they are a high end department store that prides itself on customer service. It looks like they've taken that pride in customer service and pioneered the way on how to treat a customer online as well.
The website offers every convenience you would expect to make ordering simple, and a few that are unique in my online experience. (See Nifty Notables below).
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I have been shopping various local Nordstrom's stores for probably 15 years now, but until last month I have not had the pleasure of shopping online with Nordstrom. What finally brought me to the site was an online code entitling me to $15.00 off a purchase of $25.00 or more. Never one to pass up a bargain I headed over to see what I could find.
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First Impressions-
The main page welcomes the shopper with so many options it is almost overwhelming. Neatly laid out in a tab style format are the main departments:
Women's
Men's
Shoes
Jewelry and Accessories
Beauty
Brass Plum (juniors)
Gifts
Sale
The home page also shows a product search, customer service links, catalog information, and a store locator.
Once you've selected your desired category, in my case Women's, the user is redirected to a new category with many more options to help you locate your perfect item. In Women's the options are given to search by:
Categories-(pants, shirts, etc.)
Brand Name-
Department-(Nordstrom's own specialty stores I.E. Savvy-career wear.)
Specialty sizes-(petites, plus, etc.)
After you've narrowed down the area you want to look at, such as Women's---pants. You will be shown thumbnail images of all the products fitting your description. The thumbnail will show a picture, a price, a sale flag and price if applicable, and a brief description of the item. One click will bring up detailed product information and the available sizes and colors. A few choices to make and the item will be in your shopping cart. The shopping cart remains at the top of the page and you can see how many items you've put in at any time.
Every time you put an item in you bag you are given the option of checking out or continuing to shop.
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Checking Out-
The easy feel of the site continues at checkout. New users will need to take a moment to set up an account with a user name, password, address, phone number, and credit card information. Once your into your account, you will select a shipping option, shipping address or addresses, and gift wrapping if desired. See prices below:
Checkout is relatively easy and quick. A receipt for you to print out is available immediately and Nordstrom sends you a confirmation within hours. Your order will come with a tracking number for up to date tracking information.
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Payment-
Nordstrom's take the following forms of payment:
Nordstrom Credit Card, Nordstrom VISAŽ, VISA, MasterCard, JCB, American Express and Discover/NOVUS.
They do not currently have an option to take checks or paper gift certificates, but do offer a toll free number to call for assistance with this. (1-888-282-6060)
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Shipping-
Nordstrom primarily ships via US Priority Mail, and quote a shipping norm of 3-6 business days.
Standard charges are as follows:
$0-$25.00 ($4.95)
$25.01-50 ($6.95)
$50.01-75 ($9.95)
$75.01-100 ($11.95)
$100.01-200 ($14.95)
$200.01-300 ($16.95)
$300.01-UP ($18.95)
A two day shipping upgrade via UPS is available for an additional $10.00
A next day air upgrade via UPS is available for an extra $15.00
*Note--- There are exceptions listed on the Nordstrom website for items that will not ship 2 day or next day. You should check out the site for specifics if you are using these options.
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Gift Wrapping Options-
There are two gift wrapping options available for a charge.
-For $2.00 the gift box, tissue, ribbon and a small card will come with your order.
-For $5.00 your package will come wrapped fully.
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What could be better?-
Well since nothing is perfect, there are a very few things I think Nordstrom could do better. I would love for their product selection to be a bit more varied in some areas, notably the infant section. I would also love to see an instantaneous receipt e-mailed to me rather than the several hours it currently takes.
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Who Might Like Nordstrom's Online?-
Nordstrom's can be expensive for some things, some shockingly so. Don't let that deter you though, they have many reasonably priced items, frequent sales and online codes. I would recommend this site to a variety of people; from the bargain hunting mom such as myself, to the designer conscious career woman, to the husband looking for that perfect gift. If you like quality merchandise with a guarantee then you should like shopping here.
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Nifty Notables-
-You can apply for a Nordstrom charge card online, a feature that may or may not be handy depending on the depth of your shopping addiction. :)
-Handy online size charts available, including shoes. Just grab a tape measure and get to work.
-Nordstrom will provide alterations (generally free) at a local store to ensure that perfect fit.
-Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is used to encrypt your credit card number, name and address so ordering online should be safe.
-Customer service options abound. A link to F.A.Q.'s (frequently asked questions) remains on the top of the page throughout shopping, as does a link to customer service, should the need arise. No hunting around for customer service numbers on this site!
The details abound, and like shopping in a Nordstrom's department store, shopping online feels like a treat instead of a chore. Now if I could just win the lottery and shop here everyday. :)
Have fun shopping here, we all deserve a little of the best.
=) Erin
Recommended:
Yes
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