Nordstrom takes 15 Percent Pledge

American department store chain Nordstrom has become the first retailer to sign a 10-year agreement with Aurora James 15 Percent Pledge, the organization founded to address racial inequality in the retail industry. The department store chain has committed to a tenfold increase in purchases from and partnerships with Black-owned and Black-founded brands by the end of 2030.

Last Wednesday, the 15 Percent Pledge released a survey that said within six months of taking the Pledge, participating retailers double their assortment of product offerings from Black-owned businesses. Companies have also worked to make their marketing and editorial efforts more inclusive. Companies hiring have also doubled their percentage of Black employees at director level or higher.

To date, the 15 Percent Pledge has generated 10 billion dollars in revenue for Black-owned businesses across beauty, fashion, retail, and media. The long-term goal of the 15 Percent Pledge is the create trillion dollar economic impact for Black-owned businesses.

The 10-year commitment from Nordstrom is truly a game changer for the Pledge, as it could spark interest from other legacy retailers for long-term commitments.

“When we first launched the Fifteen Percent Pledge, our focus was on encouraging retailers to commit to a minimum of 15 percent of their shelf space to Black-owned businesses,” James said in a statement. “While this is still our ultimate goal, we know that progress won’t be possible without growing the pipeline of Black-owned businesses. We applaud Nordstrom for the work they’re doing to create financial opportunities for the Black community.”

The 15 Percent Pledge has ten full-time employees, and currently has 27 companies signed on as part of the pledge. Other companies who have signed on include Ulta, Sephora, Rent the Runway, Medmen, Yelp, Vogue Magazine, Macy’s Inc., Bloomingdales, Blue Mercury, InStyle U.S., Indigo, West Elm, Crate & Barrel, CB2, Madewell, Gap Inc., Old Navy, Athleta, Banana Republic, KITH, Moda Operandi, Next Model Management, Hudson’s Bay, Sephora Canada, J.Crew, and MatchesFashion.