Why have upscale retailer Nordstrom and other apparel giants lost their luster?

In mid-August of last year, warning signs at the Seattle headquarters of Nordstrom Inc. first became apparent. Up to that point, the upscale apparel retailer, with $14 billion in annual sales, had enjoyed several years of steady sales growth and expansion. Its stock had climbed to a record high of about $80 a share. “Then, […]