Looking to expand your e-commerce business by partnering with Nordstrom as a dropshipping supplier? Getting approved to sell your products through Nordstrom.com. And Nordstrom stores can take your small business to the next level. But first, you’ll need to submit an application. And also meets their requirements for product mix, inventory, fulfilment, and more.
Guides to Apply for Nordstrom Dropshipping
Here’s what aspiring suppliers need to know to get approved for Nordstrom dropshipping.
Understanding the Nordstrom Dropshipping Program
Nordstrom partners with thousands of brands to curate an unparalleled product selection. Customers can seek the best in luxury apparel, shoes, accessories and home goods. Unlike Amazon and eBay dropshipping which is open to anyone. Nordstrom thoroughly vets potential dropshipping suppliers to uphold their reputation for quality.
The bar is high, but clearing it gives your product exposure to millions of Nordstrom customers. For online and in hundreds of department stores across North America. As a dropshipping partner, you can scale your production. Even expand to new product lines without the risks of excess inventory or upfront retail space investments.
Once approved, you ship orders directly to customers. This allows you to avoid the hassle of fulfilling small parcel shipments yourself. Nordstrom handles the rest—from online listings to order processing to customer service.
Evaluating If Your Business Is a Fit
Before investing time into a Nordstrom dropshipping application, start by asking:
- Do you have existing production capabilities and inventory or fast access to sources? Nordstrom won’t build this for you.
- Can you reliably supply hundreds or thousands of units of a product? They want established businesses, not Etsy-style makers.
- Is your product mix a fit for the Nordstrom customer and store aesthetic? Better odds for brands with compelling stories and unique, high-quality items.
- Are you able to ship individual orders quickly? Expect a 1-2 day turnaround.
- Do you have a plan for managing increased manufacturing and fulfilment demands? Scaling fast is crucial.
- Is your business financially stable? They assess credit and want confidence you can deliver.
If you can’t confidently say yes to the above, you may not be ready for Nordstrom just yet. Build your capabilities before applying. Or pursue retail partnerships that are a better match for where you are now.
Optimizing Your Nordstrom Dropshipping Application
If Nordstrom looks like a viable next step. Here’s how to put your best foot forward and avoid rookie mistakes on the application:
Tell Your Brand’s Story
In a sea of aspiring suppliers, how will your brand stand out? Lead with a compelling narrative to hook them. Share your founding story, and background on designs and products. Also, relevant awards, press features—anything that captures the essence of your brand.
Showcase Your Bestselling or Flagship Products
Avoid submitting a catalogue of hundreds of product variations. Nordstrom will ask for line sheets showing specific items you plan to provide if approved. Lead with your 10-15 best examples that will excite them about your brand. Less is more.
Highlight Sales Volumes and Customer Demand
Proving market demand is key. Share current sales volumes, customer demographics, and ratings/reviews. You can also include purchase rates, waitlists, or retailer sale orders. The stronger your sales record, the better the odds.
Verify Your Production and Inventory Readiness
To convince Nordstrom you can deliver easily. Detail your existing and potential inventory levels, production rates per month. Includes manufacturing partners, shipping methods, warehouse locations, and ability to scale up fast. Be specific on lead times and logistics.
Outline Your Quality Control Process
Good enough for Etsy or your own website is not good enough here. Define your product quality standards, production checks, handling procedures, and testing processes. And plan for accepting returns and replacements for defective items.
Prepare to Invest in Packaging and Presentation
A big mistake first-timers make is showing up to the Nordstrom interview with bare samples. Bring examples of your retail packaging, labels, & more to prove you’re ready for primetime. This goes far with buyers.
Know Your Pricing Structure
Come armed with wholesale rates. And even recommended retail prices for Nordstrom that give them enough margin. Too high, and products won’t move. Too low, and they’ll question quality. Do comparisons with speciality retailers to set competitive pricing.
Be Flexible and Fast Post-Approval
Tempt them with your capabilities today. But emphasize willingness to tweak product design, and expand product breadth. And ways to meet new compliance rules, adapt supply chain logistics, and more. They reward flexibility.
With preparation and smart strategic decisions, speciality retailer Nordstrom provide immense growth potential. Just for e-commerce businesses ready to expand their customer reach through wholesale partnerships. Avoid blunders like inadequate branding, packaging, inventory and lead times during the application. It makes you stand out from the pack and start selling to new audiences through Nordstrom’s coveted channels.
FAQs
What products make the Nordstrom cut?
The focus is on apparel, accessories, shoes, and home goods. Anything from basics like Madewell denim to ultra high-end designers. Quality, unique stories, and materials help.
Who should I contact about applying?
Email an overview of your brand, line sheets, and supply chain capabilities to Nordstrom’s Vendor Compliance team at compliance@nordstrom.com. They’ll tell if discussions with specific merchants make sense.
What inventory minimums are expected?
None published, but prove capacity for steady replenishment and rapid scaling. Expect starter orders of around 100-200 units per item. Have expansion plans ready for manufacturing and warehouses.
What’s the process after application submission?
If interested, Nordstrom’s review takes 2-3 months. This will involve follow-ups, samples, site visits, paperwork, and formal application. Once approved, integration can take another 2-4 months before going live. Long runway.
Are there fees or formatting requirements?
Nordstrom doesn’t charge fees. Send overviews, sheets, and details in formats you have to start. Later they’ll provide specifications for formal docs if moving forward.
How fast must I fulfil orders?
Once live, suppliers must pick, pack, and ship customer orders within 1-2 business days. Nordstrom handles customer service. but suppliers enable speedy fulfilment from inventory or rapid production runs. This isn’t a pre-order.
Can international businesses apply?
Yes, but Nordstrom prefers your production be located in the Americas for faster shipping to US warehouses/stores. All customer-facing elements must still be in English.
Conclusion
Gaining approval from suppliers like Nordstrom is a big step for online businesses that want to grow. The process needs a lot of preparation. This includes planning for branding, product variety, inventory, packaging, and more. Speciality wholesalers can achieve new growth. And more customer exposure by showcasing their strengths and operational readiness for Nordstrom. This retail partnership offers valuable opportunities.
