Although Nordstrom has been a "Wall Street darling," as a Seattle Times article says, the company has announced layoffs of up to 400 employees. Sales for Nordstrom and discount store Nordstrom Rack are falling. The news comes after 120 technology positions and 14 manager positions were cut earlier this year. 

In a press release, the company emphasized keeping up with changing market demand.

A Business Insider article explains the conundrum between facing an American consumer who doesn't want to pay full price and the company's desire to maintain its identify as a high-end retailer. According to one writer, heavy discounting "will ultimately drag everything down with it, including brand image, potentially quality and essentially the value of all things."

Image source.

Discussion Starters: 

• How should Nordstrom deliver the news internally? 
• Write an email that the company could send to its employees announcing the decision. Try to adapt the press release to an internal audience.