• Background: In its newly released 2021 Impact Report, Nordstrom mentioned that it donated over 40,000 pairs of shoes to kids in need with Shoes That Fit, a California based non-profit organization that provides new shoes to low-income children. It donated nearly $11mn to over 325 organizations located across every community it does business in and gave $3.6mn to 2,871 non-profits through its employee matching donation program last year. Turning to sustainability, the retailer met its goal to help customers extend the life of 250 tons of clothing through donation, resale, and refurbishment in 2021. This includes the 46 tons of clothing, shoes, and accessories Nordstrom collected in 13 stores and through its mail-in program, Give Back Box.
• Description: Nordstrom also met its goal to contribute $250,000 in corporate donations to help slow and prevent climate change, as well as expanded its BeautyCycle program to Canada, which took back 5.99 tons of beauty packaging last year. Nordstrom added 145 Black and Latinx-owned, operated, and designed brands to its assortment last year, as well as created Latinx and Black owned and founded shopping categories on Nordstrom.com.
• Impact: This move was in addition to the retailer signing the 15% Pledge and making the commitment to buy 10-times more merchandise form Black-owned and founded businesses by 2030. The Impact Report noted that Nordstrom raised more than $2mn to support homeless youth through sales of Treasure & Bond products, and produced nearly 45% of Nordstrom Made products in factories that invest in women’s empowerment training.

Photo Courtesy Nordstrom