Nordstrom celebrates Black History Month and reaffirms commitment to diversity

After a year that was marked by a global pandemic and major civil rights protests, Nordstrom is beginning 2021 with a renewed focus on its commitment to diversity and address systemic racial inequity.

“We are a part of the communities we serve, and that means we have a responsibility to create a sense of welcoming and belonging for all,” said Pete Nordstrom, chief brand officer and president of Nordstrom, Inc., in a statement. “We know our impact extends beyond our own walls and we’re committed to taking steps to be a part of the solution by making Nordstrom a better, more inclusive and anti-racist company for our employees, customers, partners and communities.”

Based on this commitment, the leading fashion retailer set a series of goals in August 2020 to address its most pressing opportunities related to diversity, inclusion and belonging. Among other things, these goals address increasing Black and Latinx representation among its managers by at least 50 percent, delivering 500 million dollars in retail sales from brands owned by, operated by or designed by Black and/or Latinx individuals, increasing charitable donations to organizations that promote anti-racism to one million dollars per year for the next five years.

“These goals represent the next phase of our journey to be a better company, not the finish line. We’re committed to doing the work, being transparent about our progress, listening to feedback and holding ourselves accountable,” said Farrell Redwine, senior vice president of Human Resources at Nordstrom, in a statement.

In honor of February’s Black History Month, Nordstrom is preparing to celebrate Black-owned brands and amplify their voices through various merchandise categories in store and online.

“We’re committed to improving the diversity of the vendors we partner with across all parts of our business,” said Teri Bariquit, chief merchandising officer at Nordstrom, in a statement. “We’re making strong progress to find and support diverse brands and we are very excited to introduce them to our customers. Most importantly, these brands and the products they offer help us meet the diverse needs of our customers, while continuing to create the inspiration and discovery they expect to find when shopping at Nordstrom.”

In addition, Nordstrom is continuing the expansion of its Inclusive Beauty category, originally launched in October 2020 to make it easier for customers to find the products that meet their unique needs – no matter skin or hair type, tone, complexion or texture. Nordstrom Beauty has formed partnerships with 12 new Black founded brands this month including Sienna Naturals, 54 Thrones, Rosen, UnSun, Brown Girl Jane, Auda B, London Grant, Spraise, Buttah, Beneath Your Mask, AJ Crimson, and most notably, Uoma.

Nordstrom at Home will launch Goodee brand this month, a Black founded brand by designers and creatives Byron and Dexter Peart. Goodee offers sustainable solutions for modern living through working exclusively with artisans. The brand offers products that make a positive social or environmental impact through curating a unique global marketplace with unique storytelling.

New Concepts @Nordstrom will launch Concept 012: Black_Space a national retail platform for designers, creatives and thought leaders across varied perspectives and experiences representing Black culture. Black_Space will include an immersive shopping experience across 12 Nordstrom locations nationwide and on Nordstrom.com for representation where it has not previously existed at Nordstrom – developed, designed and curated by Black voices. A brainchild of Sam Lobban, Senior vice president of designer and new concepts, New Concepts @Nordstrom is an ongoing series of digital and physical pop-up retail concept shops for customers to discover the newest products through exclusive partnerships with compelling brands and creatives.

During the months of February and March, the Nordstrom NYC flagship will unveil their latest Center Stage pop-up showcasing Black-owned brands across beauty, clothing, shoes and accessories. Customers are invited to explore, shop and get to know the stories and founders behind them, including Sharon Chuter of UOMA Beauty, Nancy Twine of Briogeo Hair Care, Miko Underwood of Oak & Acorn ~ Only for the Rebelles, Erika Dayla Massaquoi of The Oula Company, Elann Zelie of Zelie for She, John Dean of Renowned, Jessica Rich of her eponymous shoe brand, and Corianna and Brianna Dotson of Coco and Breezy Eyewear.

Nordstrom Made is introducing a new collection of intimates in a range of skin tones and sizes. Nordstrom partnered with members of the community to design and name each piece, engaging them for feedback on size, fit, and color. This collection will launch in March and will feature seamless pieces made with jersey and lightweight fabrics. These new partnerships build on a strong foundation the company has established for itself, with an emphasis on creating an environment where its customers feel a sense of belonging and employees can be themselves, contribute their ideas, be heard and do their best work.

To date, Nordstrom’s goals and accomplishments have included reaching 100 percent pay equity and nearly 100 percent pay parity in 2019, with an established plan for continued maintenance, improved employee diversity, with women representing 68 percent of all employees and 60 percent of leadership, adding diversity within its board of directors (five of 11 are women and three are people of color), and supporting the important work of nonprofit organizations including NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation and the National Urban League.

Earlier this year, in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day, Nordstrom joined forces with long-term partner the National Urban League to host a day of employee volunteering and learning. With a focus on making MLK Day a “day on” rather than a “day off,” together Nordstrom and National Urban League connected employees with virtual volunteer opportunities and educational resources to learn more about Dr. King’s work and ways to honor and build upon his legacy.

photo: via Nordstrom Press Room