STORE WARS: Nordstrom vs. Target
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.
How they got here: Took out JC Penney in the first round.
Strengths: Doesn’t get more affordable than this. One of the places that those who are on a real strict budget actually like to shop at. It’s possible to assemble an entire, good looking casual outfit from Target’s merchandise if you had to. Terrific basics like t-shirts, shorts, polos, and sometimes rumpled cotton blazers. Their substantial collar, decent enough fitting Ultimate Dress Shirt, which once you get it tailored, can be a real workhorse. Their C9 workout clothes. The simple fact that they’re extremely similar to Wal-Mart, yet shopping there doesn’t feel like you’re shopping at Walmart.
Weaknesses: While obviously affordable, sometimes the quality of their goods can feel… a little on the wimpy side. Fits can sometimes be inconsistent. You can’t wear a red shirt and khaki chinos to their store (not that you were itching to do so). Fitting room dimensions in some stores can be about equal to that thing they used to pull the Chilean Miners out of the ground.
How they got here: Flexed some ultra affordable style muscle in round #1, and stomped Macy’s out of the tournament.
Your votes determine who goes on to the next round. Cast your ballot below. Voting closes at midnight ET.
Store Wars: Nordstom vs. Target
- Nordstrom (64%, 1,188 Votes)
- Target (36%, 678 Votes)
Total Voters: 1,866
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This is the Michigan UConn Game…so hard to decide, both offer great things at different times….DAUMMMMMM you Joe for making my morning a fight for the ages, lol…but in all seriousness though, this is a great matchup…great deals to be had at the strom and the tarjay is great as well…im gonna mull this over…I went with Nordstrom, just because of the shabazz napier factor in Nordstrom Rack…you see how I did that right lmao
Tough call. I like Nordstrom’s lineup, but I’m a major cheapskate. I guess I’ll go with Nordstrom if I’m allowed to lump in Nordstrom Rack.
Between the customer service, 3 big sales, and especially the price-matching it’s Nordstrom, hands down. Love Target, just not so much for clothes.
Seriously, take advantage of their price-matching.
Nordstrom has such a nice rack.
Is this an April Fool’s joke? Voting is closed…? Don’t play with my heart Joe… don’t play with my heart…
Hooray, it’s back.
Nordstrom gets my vote. Target’s great for basics (I really like my new polos), but Nordstrom is one of the few brick and mortar stores I’ll actually shop in… and enjoy it.
Pulling for Target on this one. I can walk into a Target any time of the year, and walk out with a sharp looking casual outfit at a great price every time without having to wait for a sale or game the system.
Agreed. I like to check it out whenever I can.
this and jcrew vs br appearing in the early rounds, i have to say Joe, the match up could be better designed.
maybe consider a group stage just to complicate thing up? each group consisting of 4 contenders, select 2 from each group to go in the knockoff round, and then do this NCAA style one-game elimination. like how the world cup plays. that way the more popular brands have a better chance to go a little further. of course, the mechanism immediately gets more messy as you have to choose seeds for each group, so that you don’t put nordstrom, br, jcrew and target in one group…
i should head to school now.
I’m voting Nordstrom because of shoe collection.
Nordstrom has my vote. Their trim fit dress shirts are my go-to.
This is tough. I have way more items from Target in my wardrobe than from Nordstrom, but I love Nordstrom as a company, and most of those Target items aren’t exactly perfect — the shirts need a trip to the tailor, the pants have a rise that’s too short for me, the jacket is tattered and frayed after only a year. I’ll have to think on this one a bit.
This is a real thing? If you find something for cheaper than they have it, they’ll match it?
Yes indeed. You just have to show them where.
Target has been flat for years for me.
While most of Nordstrom is way out of my price range, their house brands are pretty great. The 1901 Slim Fit is perfect on me and it can go on sale for pretty cheap. Heck, they had a whole bunch for sale for $10, earlier this year. Nordstrom wins on that sale, alone.
They make good teammates: Target for underwear & socks, Nordstrom for everything else.
Good guy, Nordstrom.
Since we can equally equate Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack in these Store Wars, Target does not compare. Nordstrom Rack offers an array of affordable clothing. Also, the trim fit house dress shirts and shoe trees are winners.
I passed on Nordy in the first round, in part because I did NOT lump in Nordy Rack. That’s kinda unfair, it seems. Like JC/JCF and BR/BRF, etc. Those are all separate “teams” in these brackets, so…
Maybe because Norday Rack actually has (some) items directly from the real Nordstrom stores? Dunno. I’ve heard stories… tall tales… *legends* of some goods going straight to the Rack, not intended for the mainline store, so who knows.
Still not sure how to vote in this one. I have many staples from Target, but I also have some great stuff from Nordy (Rack). Hmmmn…
…And there’s the backseat driver Joe’s been looking for! 🙂
I actually think the bracket made good sense. In prior years, the matchups would be Nordstrom vs Goodwill or something silly in an early round. Pinning like merchants against each other early means the “best of breeds” duke it out for the title.
Not to knock Target, but you’re pretty limited from a wardrobe perspective. You can get an entire wardrobe at Nordstrom inexpensively (if you are patient). And the sales at Nordstrom happen more often than you think – there’s a lot of stuff at 33% off right now.
“backseat driver” … Bravo Geoff 🙂
This is the source of all my sadness: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/nordstrom-delays-openings-of-low-cost-rack-stores-in-canada/article17600856/