Nordstrom 1999 Annual Report Download - page 29

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27NORDSTROM, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Part of our brand includes our communication with
customers. We hope you enjoyed the national television
spots we ran in launching NOR DSTROMshoes.com in
November of 1999, and more recently, the national media
campaign and other promotional activities for our full-line
stores. As we invite our customers to reinvent themselves,
we want to convey the message that change is positive, and
accepting some level of risk can be rewarding.
Better technology enables better service.
Our effort to strengthen our information resources rep-
resents a major step forward. Over time, our people will
have the necessary tools to better perform our customer-
intensive style of retailing. Whether it’s information
needed in developing more effective partnerships with
our vendors, moving merchandise more quickly from
point of manufacture to the sales floor, or responding
more quickly to sales trends and retaining better balance
in inventory levels, our ultimate objective is to better
serve our customers.
“ We must recognize the full human equality
of all our people.” — ROBERT F. KENNEDY
People build our future.
As you can sense, there is a lot going on at Nordstrom.
Much of the work is long-term in nature, designed to
deliver enduring benefits. None of it is easy, but all of it is
necessary in order for Nordstrom to compete and win in
the years ahead.
Simply stated, we want to be better. We’re proud of our
99-year heritage of striving to provide outstanding serv-
ice to every customer. We’re proud of our people, who
are the lifeblood of our company and the vital link
between our products and our customers. During 1999
we were honored to be included among:
•Fortune magazine’s “100 Best Companies to Work
For in America”
•Working Woman’s “Top 25 Companies for
Executive Women”
•Fortune’s “50 Best Workplaces for Blacks, Asians,
and Hispanics”
Yet we cannot stand still. Our goal is to achieve total
shareholder return among the top quartile of our peers,
and that requires that we continue to build — stores,
systems, capabilities and people.The 21st century is sure
to bring new opportunities for growth. As we expand,
the key will be to impart a distinct, consistent message
across all channels, in every customer interaction, that is
uniquely one Nordstrom.
Thank you for your continued support as we work to
better serve our customers, employees, communities and
shareholders.
Sincerely,
John Whitacre
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer