Nordstrom's PR strategy since May 2025 rests on family control, a service-first message and the growth of Nordstrom Rack. The Nordstrom family and Mexico's El Puerto de Liverpool completed an all-cash take-private that month, leaving the family with 50.1% and Liverpool with 49.9%. Retail Dive reported that Nordstrom's 2025 total sales rose 7% to nearly $16 billion, with the highest comparable sales in over a decade.
By the EPR Editorial Team. Originally published March 2016. Updated October 12, 2026.
Nordstrom at a glance
Nordstrom is a family-led department store company that returned to private ownership in 2025. The table lists the facts that matter most for communications teams, each tied to a named source.
| Fact | Detail | Source |
|---|
| Founded and first listed | Founded in 1901, first went public in 1971 | Corridor Business |
| Ownership since May 2025 | Nordstrom family 50.1%, El Puerto de Liverpool 49.9% | Chain Store Age |
| Deal terms | $24.25 per share in cash, valued at $6.25 billion | Chain Store Age |
| Leadership | Erik Nordstrom and Pete Nordstrom, co-CEOs | Retail Dive |
| 2025 total sales | Up 7% to nearly $16 billion | Retail Dive |
What changed when Nordstrom went private?
Nordstrom went private in May 2025 when members of the Nordstrom family and El Puerto de Liverpool completed an all-cash acquisition at $24.25 per share, and the stock was delisted from the New York Stock Exchange on May 21, 2025, as FashionUnited reported. Chain Store Age put the value of the deal at $6.25 billion.
Erik Nordstrom and Pete Nordstrom became co-CEOs of the privately held company. Retail Dive noted that their brother Blake Nordstrom, who died unexpectedly in 2019, had once led the company alongside them as co-president, and that the co-CEO structure returned after about five years of Erik as CEO and Pete as chief brand officer.
At closing, Pete Nordstrom said the company's customer-first philosophy remains unchanged, according to Corridor Business. That sentence gave reporters a statement about shoppers on the same day the deal terms were reported.
How does Nordstrom frame its message around service?
Nordstrom frames its message around service and merchandise, and its statement at the close of the deal repeated both. Erik Nordstrom said the company stays focused on outstanding service, the best merchandise and helping customers look and feel their best, as FashionUnited quoted him.
EPR's observation is that the family described the new ownership in operating terms, not financial ones, which keeps coverage on what shoppers see in stores. The same service message runs through the creator work covered in EPR's guide to department store influencer marketing.
Why is Nordstrom Rack central to the company's story?
Nordstrom Rack is the growth engine that Nordstrom's leadership points to most often. Retail Dive reports that CEO Erik Nordstrom has repeatedly called the off-price business a growth engine, key to customer retention and the biggest driver of customer acquisition.
Nordstrom's annual report for fiscal 2024 also states that buy online, pick up in store became available in over 100 Rack stores that year.
Nordstrom paired the Rack expansion with news that it is closing two full-line stores in spring 2026, including its only Delaware store. A spokesperson told Retail Dive that the company would serve customers in both regions through nearby stores and digital channels.
Nordstrom's 2025 results were strong for a department store: Retail Dive reported total sales up 7% year over year to nearly $16 billion, with the highest comparable sales in over a decade.
In May 2025, Retail Dive cited Placer.ai data showing Nordstrom had the strongest year-over-year traffic growth among luxury department stores. A retail analyst quoted in the same report said the company's low share of private-label brands was an advantage in the tariff era.
For peer comparisons, EPR covers the Kohl's department store profile and the JCPenney rebranding case study. The wider section is mapped in EPR's retail and ecommerce communications guide.
What can other brands learn from Nordstrom's communications?
Brands can take three practical lessons from how Nordstrom communicated its ownership change and store changes.
- Name what stays the same. Nordstrom did this on the day the deal closed, which gave reporters a quote about shoppers instead of only deal terms.
- Pair a closure with growth in the same message. Nordstrom announced two full-line closures alongside 23 planned Rack openings, so coverage carried both facts.
- Back the message with published figures. The 2025 sales number reached reporters through a company announcement, and the fiscal 2024 annual report supplied comparable sales growth of 3.6%.
The through-line is that Nordstrom keeps its message tied to the customer and backs it with numbers it publishes. A brand facing an ownership or store change can copy that order: customer first, then the figures.
