Washington

SEATTLE —Nordstrom plans to permanently close 16 of its 116 full-line stores, with the company incurring the non-cash impairment charges associated with the closures. The clothing retailer hopes the closures will better position it for the long-term retail landscape at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic. The list of stores was not released. “We’ve been investing in our digital and physical capabilities to keep pace with rapidly changing customer expectations,” says Erik Nordstrom, CEO of Nordstrom Inc. “The impact of COVID-19 is only accelerating the importance of these capabilities in serving customers.” “More than ever, we need to work with flexibility and speed,” he adds. “Our market strategy helps with both, bringing inventory closer where customers live and work, allowing us to use our stores as fulfillment centers to get products to customers faster, and connecting digital and physical experiences with services like curbside pickup and returns.” The retailer is also restructuring its regions, support roles and corporate organization for greater speed and flexibility. This restructuring is expected to result in expense savings of approximately $150 million. That savings represents 30 percent of the company’s previously announced plans for net cash reductions of more than $500 million in operating expenses, …