VALS

VALS is very interesting to me. I think they really can tell what consumers are like in the marketplace today. When I took the survey, I answered all questions truthfully and my results were experiencer and achiever. Experiencer was number one and achiever was the second type I would be based on my scores. I think it is very neat how they are able to tell this.

When I found out the results and read on their website about what an experiencer was like, I totally agreed. The main statement I agreed with was "experiencers are avid consumers and spend a comparatively high proportion of their income on fashion, entertainment, and socializing. Their purchases reflect the emphasis they place on looking good and having "cool" stuff" (VALS.com). This basically sums me up. I don't know about the "cool stuff" part, but other than that they definitely nailed my type.

The target person we described in my group Tuesday, definitely fit one of these types. I would say that "Cameron", that shops at Abercombie and Fitch, would also be an experiencer. The statement I would agree with on Cameron would be "their energy finds an outlet in exercise, sports, outdoor recreation, and social activities"(VALS.com). This fits part of the Abercrombie and Fitch description in my mind.

http://www.sric-bi.com/VALS/experiencers.shtml

Research on NORDSTROM Department Store

Now that you know why Nordstrom is my favorite retailer, here is some useful information on how Nordstrom came about.
First of all, Nordstrom was founded by John W. Nordstrom, when he emigrated to the United States in 1887 in hopes of opening a department store. Fourteen years later, John W. Nordstrom opened a shoe store in 1901 called Walin and Nordstrom and this is when Nordstrom was officially founded. Later, he opened another store and decided to put his two sons to work. In 1928, John W Nordstrom retired and sold his shares to two of his sons (Wikipedia 2009).

Nordstrom is now known as an upscale department store chain throughout the United States (Wikipedia, 2009). Today, Nordstrom has 109 full line department stores in 28 different states. They also plan to open 50 more stores within the next ten years (Wikipedia 2009). Norstrom today carries handbags, clothing, accessories, jewelry, cosmetics, fragrances, and in some locations Nordstrom even carries home furniture (Wikipedia, 2009).

Additionally, Nordstrom is well known for their excellent customer service. They also have been rated in Fortune's Magazine "100 Best Companies to Work for", for the past two years. This year they are rated number 72 in Fortune Magazine "100 Best Companies to Work for", and last year they were rated number 36(Wikipedia, 2009). Overall, I think Nordstrom is an excellent retailer and will continue to grow and expand.