Nordstrom Tries to Build Momentum Heading Into the Holidays

Department stores have had to deal with nearly unprecedented challenges in the retail industry, with threats coming not from adverse economic conditions affecting their customers, but rather from the emergence of e-commerce. Nordstrom (NYSE: JWN) has been at the high end of the retail market throughout its history, and some thought that it might prove immune to the pressures from internet retailers. Instead, the company has fared poorly, prompting extensive discussion about whether Nordstrom should go private rather than deal with short-term-minded shareholders as a public company.

Coming into Thursday's third-quarter financial report, Nordstrom investors were focused on the company's retail operations, and they had already braced themselves for declines in earnings and sluggish top-line growth rates. Nordstrom did better than those lowered expectations, but the company's outlook didn't give investors the same confidence that results from Nordstrom's competitors had offered. Let's look more closely at Nordstrom to see how it did and what to expect for the key holiday season.

Image source: Nordstrom.

Source: Fool.com