Nordstrom Announces TextStyle: Shop by Text Service

An example of how Nordstrom text style works from an Instagram post.

Nordstrom, Inc. is making it easier for customers to shop with their mobile phones via a new texting shopping service.   The store has launched TextStyle in all of its 116 U.S. Nordstrom stores.  TextStyle is a seamless, secure way for customers to make curated purchases from their salesperson or personal stylist using text messaging. With the launch of TextStyle, Nordstrom is now the only retail company in the U.S. that offers customers who opt in the ability to shop and buy with a text message.   With the Designer Final Sale and Summer Clearance on now, this maybe something you’d like to try to shop at Nordstrom.  

TextStyle is a follow-on to a service Nordstrom launched in  2014, called  NEXT. NEXT is an opt-in, secure one-to-one service that lets Nordstrom customers who prefer texting to communicate with their salesperson using their smartphone. TextStyle leverages the security, privacy and capabilities built into the Nordstrom NEXT texting service.  With more and more people texting instead of using their phones to talk to another human being, the service seems well timed.  Especially with a series of sales coming up throughout the summer.

“TextStyle is an important step forward in our continued efforts to develop ways to serve customers on their terms,” said Jamie Nordstrom, president of stores. “For customers who prefer text messaging, TextStyle is a way for our salespeople to provide a personalized styling experience and for customers to view and buy seamlessly with the convenience and simplicity of a text message, wherever and whenever they like.”

How to use TextStyle

1. Customers using their NEXT texting account opt-in to use TextStyle.
2. Using TextStyle, a customer or salesperson sends a private text message with a description or photo of a product.
3. If the customer likes any of the recommended items, they can purchase by simply replying “buy” plus a unique code.
4. The purchase is completed using the customer’s Nordstrom.com account information.
5. Items ship directly to the customer with Nordstrom free standard delivery.

TextStyle and NEXT are built with the customer privacy and security in mind. NEXT is an opt-in-only texting platform developed by Nordstrom and Twilio that provides Nordstrom salespeople a unique 10-digit number for one to one text communication with their customers.

What do you think readers? I know many of you shop at Nordstrom’s because of their customer service.  Do you think that will be the same with a texting service?  Also, would you trust your credit information to texting (see the example screen shot above? )