Nordstrom vs. JC Penney – Store Wars Rd. #1

STORE WARS: Nordstrom vs. JC Penney

Starting March 17th and running through April 7th, Dappered.com is hosting a bracket based tournament with the purpose of eventually crowning the all around Affordable Men’s Style Retail Champ for 2014.  For a full introduction see this post. The bracket on the right will be updated as the tournament progresses. Click on it for the full size. Make a case for your preferred competitor in the comments section, but don’t forget to vote at the bottom of each match up. On with today’s showdown:

 

Strengths: Their big-time Anniversary Sale in late summer (which features just-in, fall-ready goods significantly marked down), and their two half-yearly sale clearances after the holidays and then once again in June. Free shipping & free returns. They price match as long as you call customer service and tell them where you saw a product at a lower price than what they’ve got. If you live near a Nordstrom Rack, then lucky you. Their in house brands, Calibrate, 1901, Wallin & Bros, John W. Nordstrom, etc… And perhaps, above all else, the way they present themselves to their customers. Clean, smart, sharp, and modern with plenty of classic style. Sure, they’re not cheap, but they often carry the stuff that’s worth saving up for.

Weaknesses: Aside from their three big sales, they can be a major stretch on the budget. Suiting and blazers usually run way too expensive. Sure wish they held sales a little more often.

 

Strengths: Crazy affordable. Despite the ouster of Ron Johnson & Nick Wooster, it seems like they’re still making a bit of an effort (see Claiborne & Stafford’s new blazers). Accessibility to brick & mortar to a huge segment of the population. Their uber-cheap suits. Seems like they always have Levis in the mid to high $30s range.

Weaknesses: That switch from everyday low prices to a coupon game that often leaves the same goods more expensive with coupons & codes. The destruction of the “jcp” brand (and their OCBDs). What they did to the beloved Stafford Camlin. Everything that happened in 2013. Yeah… sure. But. Well, yeah.

Your votes determine who goes on to the next round.  Cast your ballot below.  Voting closes at midnight ET.