The Seattle-based retailer will add Madewell to 20 more of its stores this fall, bringing the total to 76 locations in the U.S. and Canada, as well as online at Nordstrom.com. That’s more than 60 percent of Nordstrom’s full-line store base.
It’s the third distribution expansion since the two first paired up in March 2015 to sell select Madewell pieces at 15 Nordstrom locations. The partnership proved such a boon for Nordstrom’s business that it decided to double the number of stores carrying the merchandise after only a few months.
Notably, Nordstrom is the only brick-and-mortar retailer to carry Madewell merchandise outside of its own 100-plus stores. The fall collection hit shelves Wednesday, featuring button-down plaid shirts, embroidered dresses and such denim essentials as high-rise skinny jeans and class jean jackets.
Madewell has been the only bright spot on parent company J.Crew Group’s balance sheet in recent years. In the last quarter, for instance, revenue and same-store sales alike increased at Madewell, while J.Crew’s sales and comps both declined.