FDRA, Nordstrom, Discuss Smart Retail Strategies at FN CEO Summit 2021

Swift and strategic adaptation to change is critical for footwear retailers’ success in 2021 – and as the mood of the market evolves, brands and retailers must evolve, too. At the virtual FN CEO Summit held on June 9 and 10, the panel discussion “Key Footwear Retailer Strategies in the Age of Dynamic Consumer Shifts” was led by Matt Priest, president and chief executive officer, Footwear Distributors and Retailers of America, and featured Tacey Powers, executive vice president and general merchandise manager, JWN Shoes, Nordstrom. The pair discussed Powers’s long career in the footwear industry, the impacts of COVID-19, and significant shifts in consumer behavior. “I have been with Nordstrom for 39 years,” Powers said. “That in itself is reflective of what was, and what is.” Powers began her career as a buyer, and back then, “it was completely decentralized,” she explained. “Early on, we had shoe buyers in every store and business was only transacted in brick-and-mortar stores,” adding that, “I was the buyer, the planner, the allocator and supply chain.” “Search,” “traffic” and “conversion” were all “new speak” at the beginning of the digital era, Powers said. She remembers the launch of Nordstrom.com – and when people didn’t want to sell

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