Will Nordstrom Disappoint Again?
I just don’t know what to expect from Nordstrom online. Will they or won’t they?
nordstrom
Did You Catch the AM90 Mars (Re)Landing?
Did you see that Nordstrom “restocked” the Air Max 90 Mars Landing shoes that recently released? I’m guessing this was more returns rather than a restock, but for a short while, a few (small) sizes were readily available for purchase.
I’m kinda glad I passed on these sneakers. Althought they have a cool backstory and look interesting, the value in these have not been too good.
Nordstrom Pricing Mistake
It’s been awhile, but Nordstrom is fallible and does make mistakes. Witness these New Balance 998 in grey and teal. Usually, the 998s made in the USA go for $180, but at the moment, Nordstrom has them priced at $100.
Sizes are slowly going…
My Relationship with Nordstorm Is Strange
This post’s title says it all. I’ve said good things about Nordstrom, but I’ve shared mostly bad experiences shopping online. Why you ask? Because this customer service-centric company does stuff like this.
They cancel two of my online orders due to lack of stock. Yet, what did I see while poking around men’s shoes this past week?
Yup, this floral Air Force 1 was the first of my cancellations. But it doesn’t end there. Scrolling down on the page, I came across these Air Max 98 Wild West.
No kidding. This had been the second of my cancellations, and to top it off, both of these shoes were nearly the sizes of my cancelled order (I had ordered a size 10 AF1 and a 10.5 AM98. Both of those in stock are size 10). I have to assume both models came from other cancelled orders or returns.
And then, here’s the kicker. Remember back in October 2018 when my Nordstrom order for the Nike React Element 87 was cancelled? Yes, this chronicled one of my earlier disappointments with Nordstrom. Guess what showed up online? The same exact shoe that was cancelled – Nike React Element 87 Total Orange colorway in size 10.5. Some kind of twisted fate?
I placed my order knowing the probable outcome and look what showed up.
There was no original box, but the shoes are fine. I don’t know what happened here – a very late return, hiding in the warehouse, old stock from a retail location? I guess I need to say thanks Nordstrom. Let’s just work on fulfilling orders the first time around. đ
Nordstrom Online Continues to Disappoint
What else can I say other than I’ve been let down by Nordstrom online again… and again. Twice in the same day. I had placed two early orders for pre-release products – one in January and one in February. Yesterday, I received two emails that both orders had been cancelled due to item unavailability.
Supposedly both items did actually become available but both ran through their inventory before my orders were fulfilled. I just don’t see how this is possible, especially for pre-release orders. Mind you that inventory available does update while online orders are being placed. At release, you’ll see all sizes available on the product page, but as time passes, sizes that sell out no longer appear indicating a sell out. So there is a means of tracking inventory, but it appears that Nordstrom’s online system just isn’t good enough,
And really, that’s the frustration with all of this. For all the worldclass service Nordstrom offers and their top notch store environments, their online system is severely lacking. Realize that I’ve now had 4 out of 8 online shoe orders cancelled by Nordstrom. If you ordered items online and received only half of what you ordered, would you be satisfied?
I tweeted out to @Nordstrom and received the usual response that they’ll share my experience with the teams. It’s been four months since my first Twitter complaint was shared with the teams and so far, I can’t see any progress.
Nordstrom Cancels Two Nike Orders
Don’t Trust Nordstrom Online Ordering
I knew it. I just knew it. My faith in Nordstrom’s online ordering system has once again been betrayed, and I’m extremely disappointed with this continued trend. For a company renowned for customer service, their online ordering failures is a stark comparison.
A little history. My first Nordstrom cancellation was for a shadow-like colorway of the Air Jordan 1 Mid. A successful online purchase, a confirmation email followed by a cancellation email a few days later. But then, Nordstrom did have a redeeming moment offering a similar AJ1 model in blue, but even then, I was expecting another cancellation.
That brings us to this week with Nike’s release of its latest colorways of the React Element 87. Again, Nordstrom does surprise me with its shoe offerings, and I was lucky enough to order the Element 87 from Nordstrom online. I did have my reservations since the online system was acting strangely. Although showing all three colorways (Solar Red, Neptune Green, and Total Orange), clicking on any always brought me to the product page for the Total Orange. Assuming the red and green colorways were both sold out, I proceeded to order the Total Orange. A few sizes were displayed including a 10.5 Men’s (I wanted to size up on these since I heard the upper material does not stretch).
The order went through easily without a glitch. On 10/11/2018, I received a confirmation email listing the multiple items I ordered, including a single pair of Element 87. Later that same day, I received another email stating that some of my items had already shipped. But the Element 87 had not shipped but was listed as “In Process.” Hmmm, I was concerned but still hopeful.
On 10/12/2018, I checked status once again and once again, lost more hope. The Element 87 status changed to reflect a ship date of November 2, 2018. That would be two weeks after placing the order, and I knew that wasn’t a good sign.
Then on 10/13/2018, the false promise of Nordstrom was realized with the inevitable cancellation email that starts like this:
We’re sorry that we couldn’t fulfill your order
And sure enough status of the Reacts now looked like this:
Disappointing? Yes. Very disappointing? Yes again. It took Nordstrom 2-3 days to finally let my hopes dwindle and live up to my former shopping experiences. That’s two out of three online orders cancelled by Nordstrom.
I called customer service who answered the phone promptly on a Saturday night in Hawaii. But after providing my order number, the rep confirmed that the order is cancelled due to product unavailability. I asked why it took so long to figure out availability, and she explained how the order of processing the purchases was a factor. Already at this point, I knew getting the shoes was impossible. I don’t know the precedence of how Nordstrom processes orders, but I do know it’s flawed. And the company seemingly knows it as well, admitting that they are working to make improvements.
After my phone call to customer service, I reached out complained to Nordstrom’s Twitter account (see the captured Twitter Moment below).
Nike Element 87 Order Canceled by Nordstrom
Again, the premise is that the Nordstrom inventory and their online ordering system aren’t completely in sync, needing approximatley three days to fully understand a product’s availability.
So here I am mistrustful of Nordstrom’s online ordering system of false promises and their ability to actually fulfill their orders. I expected more from Nordstrom.
Nordstrom Redemption and Air Jordan Color-blindness
Nordstrom has redeemed itself, partially at least. Last you remember, Nordstrom cancelled my discounted order for a pair of Air Jordan 1 mid, in a shadow-like colorway (I’ve since learned that these are not THE premium Shadow AJ1 highs). They just couldn’t fulfill the order.
But seeing the here-now-gone-tomorrow nature of these shoes, I persisted, checking the site’s inventory every now and then. And it paid off. One day, an AJ1 in an obsidian, game royal colorway appearend on-site. Not a premium model but still discounted, last pair, and my size. So I ordered it, expecting to get yet another cancellation.
Then redemption…
Thanks Nordstrom!
Oh, about that Air Jordan color-blindness. From the pictures above, you can see the shoes are a mix of dark blue and royal blue. On the Nordstrom site, I had thought these shoes were black and royal blue (see the image below).
If you remember, I had also bought a pair of Air Jordan 31 on clearance from Nike. I thought these were black and white when really they were dark blue and white.
I guess I’m just color-blind when it comes to Air Jordans? But really, I can’t complain after getting both at reduced prices.
A Chaotic Feeling at the New Nordstrom
I can’t quite place my finger on it, but personally, I felt a sense of chaos while touring the new Nordstrom in the Ewa Wing of Ala Moana. It was just weird and different from the vibe of the original Nordstrom.
While the store is nice and new, the layout just felt chaotic for me. Like the recently-added Bloomingdale’s, distinguishing each department means decorating it differently. There are no walls or exceptionally tall partitions to separate floor space and departments. Multi-storied, the new location is essentially different floors of empty, flat space, not rooms or sections. I guess the original location was similary built, so maybe it’s the high ceilings with all that extra space that exacerbates that bad vibe.
Then I hit the men’s shoe department. Usually, I enjoy the great finds here, enjoying some unique kicks. But I could hardly make my way through this “department.” It just felt so confusing like I was going the wrong way, and it was like I couldn’t get a good look at the shoes. Do I walk clockwise, counterclockwise, straight through? Even with the variety of shoes there, I just couldn’t bring myself to enjoy or even look at them with the chaotic layout too distracting.
And you know what I think the cause is? Again, it’s weird, but I think it’s the right side of the all the pairs of shoes on display. Thinking about it, I think most stores display the left shoe. Why? I don’t know, but I’m sure there’s some reason. So browsing amongst all the right pairs was just so disconcerting. The shoes were pointing one way, but I felt like I had to walk against this natural direction. Or maybe it’s because I’m right handed and picking up the right shoe in the displayed orientation, I would see the inner, medial side of it. But really, the outer side of the shoe is where it’s at.
I have to go back one day and see if that sense of confusion is still with me, but man that new Nordstrom just feels too chaotic.