Nordstrom names new chief technology, information officer

Dive Brief:

As Nordstrom seeks to advance its Closer to You marketing campaign strategy, the retailer announced Friday it has named Jason Morris as chief technology and information officer, according to a company press release.
In his new role, Nordstrom said he will manage the company’s technology functions, such as engineering and data science, and analytics.
Before Nordstrom, Morris most recently served as Walmart’s senior vice president of enterprise business services. Before then, he oversaw the retailer’s system development, hardware and software across over 10,000 international locations and its tech development within its merchandising, replenishment, supplier management, real estate and global compliance divisions.

Dive Insight:

Morris’ appointment comes at a time when Nordstrom is working to advance its marketing strategy. In October 2020, the company launched its Closer to You campaign in an effort to provide order pick-up, returns and other services available for customers in their neighborhoods. Upon his arrival on May 1, Morris said he will help the company serve its customers in new and better ways through its digital capabilities.

“Jason has a wealth of experience leading large, global teams to create and implement best-in-class retail technology solutions,” Erik Nordstrom, chief executive officer of Nordstrom, said in a statement. “He will play a critical role as we continue to advance our Closer to You market strategy, and we look forward to welcoming him to the team.”

In addition to hiring a technologist, Nordstrom has recently focused on updating its supply chain. During an earnings call last month, the retailer said it would continue modernizing its supply chain as part of its priorities over the upcoming fiscal year. Doing so is expected to boost its business, which lost 4.1% in Q4 2022 net sales compared to the previous year.

Meanwhile, the retailer has also been changing its approach to its brick-and-mortar stores. The retailer announced plans last month to close six Nordstrom locations and seven Nordstrom Rack stores, resulting in roughly 2,500 employees losing their jobs. Its Canadian stores generated less than 3%.