As the homecoming dance approaches, many students have started their frantic searches for the perfect date, hairstyle, makeup and most importantly, the perfect outfit. Luckily, with Nordstrom’s new policy of free shipping, finding the perfect dress or suit has become a whole lot cheaper.
In August, Nordstrom eliminated all charges for shipping and delivery to customers’ homes, giving many students a more cost-effective choice for homecoming apparel.
“We believe that it has given us a better connection with our customers,” said Nordstrom customer service specialist Hilary, who would not share her last name due to privacy regulations. “It brought up our level of customer service, and it is something they can look forward to at Nordstrom.”
Nordstrom previously only had free shipping for purchases over $200 and charged $8 shipping for standard shipping orders. With the new policy, it is free to ship anywhere in the U.S.
According to an Aug. 29 Nordstrom press release, the company is broadening its online free shipping and returns policies for customers in an effort to improve the online shopping experience.
With the expense of dining, transportation and tickets, the price of homecoming can be a serious factor in deciding whether or not to even attend.
“I order whatever dress I want from Nordstrom regardless of the price,” junior Coco Hermes said. “My parents usually get mad because homecoming prices add up.”
Nordstrom’s new policy will help students ordering from their online store save money for other things. Saving money on shipping may give students more freedom to splurge on clothing, shoes or other homecoming traditional items.
“With the price of homecoming dresses and added shipping costs, homecoming can be very expensive for something that lasts just a few hours” said junior Kaeshini Thiran.
The new policy also applies to returns, as customers can now send items back to the store at no charge, which could be particularly helpful to girls because they will be able to order dresses without having to worry about extra costs if the dress does not fit.
“I always just order however many dresses I like and return most of them,” freshman Emily Rinder said. “It’s a win-win situation now because I don’t lose money on shipping.”
According to Hilary, Nordstrom designed the new shipping policy to boost business to give themselves an edge over competitors. However, Bloomingdales, a main competitor, has yet to change their shipping policy.
“We changed our shipping policy to keep up with other competitors,” Hilary said. “We thought that other competing department stores were doing free shipping so we decided to do the same.”
Nordstrom has received a lot of positive feedback from their customers about the new policy.
“I don’t see any negative impact for not charging customers shipping for a product,” Hilary said. “It is something they can look forward to at Nordstrom and hopefully it will help us grow.”
