As Profit Falls, Nordstrom Opens Checkbook to Boost E-Commerce

Seattle retailer looks to new delivery method to reduce inventory.

Nordstrom has purchased a minority stake in supply-chain software firm Dsco, which provides a cloud-based service that routes orders from retailers’ websites to manufacturers so that the orders can be shipped directly to the customer, the Wall Street Journal reports. The article says that this method of delivery is called “drop shipping” and can reduce retailers’ costs by allowing them to hold less inventory. The investment comes as Nordstrom reported a $46 million profit last quarter, which was down from $128 million a year ago.

Read more at The Wall Street Journal