Observational Research Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Observational Research - Assignment Example Nordstrom Incorporation and Bloomingdale’s are key players in the US’s upscale retail market of fashion industry. The two actors have maintained successful business both online and in their respective physical outlets in different states across the country. This paper is a report about an observational research of the two retailers’ business activities on their official websites and at their physical business locations. The researcher intended to secretly seek answers to unclear marketing issues by disguising as a curious shopper. First, following its founding by Nordstrom John W. and Wallin Carl F. in the early 20th century, Nordstrom’s mission was to serve the upscale market with fashionable items from its head offices in Seattle, Washington. The organization has since grown its business to include stocks of shoes, clothing, handbags, jewelry, and beauty products such as cosmetics and perfumes. In Nordstrom, there were wedding and home decoration products for would-be couples. I realized that the company’s website is stocked with a variety of the goods, but a visit at the physical location of the business revealed much more of the goods available for consumers than could be updated on the online store. On the other hand, I realized that Bloomingdales is also a significant player in the American high-end market. The company was set up in 1861 by Macys, Inc. For more than a century, Nordstrom has been one of its main market rivals in the country. And following the advent of the Internet in the second half of the 20th century, it is clear that Bloomingdales took its products to the online store; a platform upon which it seeks to expand its market share. The performance of the online stores is therefore rated as follows: best (1), better (2), good, (3); bad (4); and worse (5) as written in table 1. The rating is based on the quality of stock and client