Dive Brief:
- Nordstrom hired Jason Morris to oversee the company’s technology functions as its chief technology and information officer, the company announced Friday. Morris will begin his role May 1.
- Morris previously served as SVP of enterprise business services at Walmart Global Tech. Before that role, Morris was VP of consumer-facing technology and led strategy, system development and implementation of hardware and software at Walmart.
- Morris will oversee Nordstrom’s technology functions, including engineering, data science and analytics. "Jason has a wealth of experience leading large, global teams to create and implement best-in-class retail technology solutions," said Nordstrom CEO Erik Nordstrom in the announcement.
Dive Insight:
Morris is taking over the position following the departure of former CTIO Edmond Mesrobian, who left the company in October. When Mesrobian was hired, the retailer had gone more than 18 months without anyone in that leadership position, while this time around, it took the retailer around 6 months to find a replacement.
Nordstrom has its sights set on advancing its marketing strategy and Closer to You campaign, which highlights efforts to provide services for customers in their neighborhoods. Nordstrom’s CEO said Morris will play a “critical role” in this area.
Just like many other retailers, the company has faced uncertainty as consumers buying patterns changed. The company’s digital sales dropped 13% in Q4 for the period ending Jan. 28 compared to the same period last year.
Store traffic fell off in a “meaningful way” as consumers shifted to digital last year, Nordstrom’s Interim CFO Michael Maher said during the March earnings call, according to a Seeking Alpha transcript.
The company has seen a return to stores this year, Maher said, citing a “strong pent-up demand for getting out again.”
“I think once we're past some of those timing impacts, we should see growth normalized,” Maher said.
The company is planning capital expenditures of 3% to 4% of net sales this year, according to Maher, primarily for investments in supply chain and technology capabilities.
