Higher spend on essentials, online bargains hit U.S. dept stores

Trouble at Nordstrom - seen as head-and-shoulder above rivals such as Macy's Inc and cheaper retailers including Kohl's Corp in terms of style, quality and customer service - may indicate a permanent shift in the way people shop and what they buy, analysts said. "The confusing disconnect between the seemingly strong health of the high-end U.S. consumer on paper and actual retailer results is much more a reflection of the tectonic shifts across the retail landscape," Evercore analysts said in a n