E-commerce is affecting nearly every brick-and-mortar sector. Retail has been hit the hardest, and Nordstrom is no exception. No less than three full-size department stores had to be closed down in 2019. Since then, Nordstrom announced four more closures. On the other hand, Nordstrom has developed a robust e-commerce enterprise.
According to The Motley Fool, the store’s digital sales brought in 30 percent of total sales, with nowhere to go but up. Sales are continuing to rise. Cutting back on lower-performing brick-and-mortar stores with the recent store closings is a strategic effort by the family-operated corporation to maximize future profitability.
Barneys New York
In 2018, a $34 million dive in revenue from February to June landed the luxury department store company in bankruptcy court. Barneys New York filed for Chapter 11 protection in August of that year. Full-size Barneys department stores in Seattle, Chicago, and Las Vegas closed, as well as some smaller stores.
The century-old retailer launched with a sophisticated New York-chic discount appeal. As legend has it, Mr. Barney Pressman pawned his wife’s engagement ring in 1923 to procure the cash for opening a men’s clothing storefront on Seventh Avenue. It’s always been about style and panache. In the 1970s, Barneys added women’s apparel. But it wasn’t until the 1960s when a shift toward men’s designer fashions transitioned Barneys to its contemporary luxury presence.
Saks Off 5th
Saks Off 5th is the Nordstrom Rack of Saks Fifth Avenue luxury department store. The offshoot was launched in 1990 and became a popular high-end outlet store with over 100 locations nationwide. When Canadian retail giant Hudson Bay Company (HBC) acquired Saks Off 5th, along with its parent company Saks Fifth Avenue, it expanded both chains into Canada.
HBC also expanded Saks Off 5th to Europe. HBC scaled back its expansion, closing all of its European and Canadian stores. Although there are no official details, HBC estimates that 20 U.S. locations are on the cutting block. The move is part of a streamlining and growth effort, according to Saks Off 5th CEO Helena Foulkes.
Eddie Bauer
Eddie Bauer retail stores did pretty well during the late ‘80s into the ‘90s with its rough, outdoorsman wear. Founder, Eddie Bauer, invented the quilted down jacket in 1940 and plenty of other flannel-centric sportswear—becoming the U.S. Army’s clothier for WWII airmen and beyond. The Army even allowed the company logo on its servicemen’s standard-issue gear. And what about Ford? The Ford Motor Company used the Eddie Bauer logo to designate certain vehicle models. In 1984 they came out with the limited edition Eddie Bauer Bronco.
Once the 2000s hit, the company became increasingly riddled with financial woes. It filed for bankruptcy, for the first time, in 2003. In 2009, it was back to the bankruptcy court. It survived both filings. Some analysts date Eddie Bauer’s financial woes back to 2009 when the store shifted to women’s sportswear. Since then, it’s tried to move back to the rugged testosterone-inspired styles, but the debt is just not going away. Eddie Bauer was looking for a buyer back in 2014, and once again, it’s been looking for a new owner to run its 370 stores and take over its $400 million debt.
J. Crew
One store at risk for a 2019 bankruptcy is J. Crew. Their problem? A $2 billion debt issue. Of course, they made some mistakes that caused shoppers to buy elsewhere, but, in the end, it added up to a net loss of $125 million for 2017. To put its debt issues in perspective, the company paid $30 million per quarter in interest payments to pay down its debt.
The Los Angeles-based company started out as a specialty catalog retailer. J Crew’s niche rugged outdoor wear designs caught on, and by the 2000s, the company offered brick-and-mortar stores. For some reason, they tried an upscale appeal, and their effort, like the proverbial last straw, sank the ship.