Blake Nordstrom, the co-president of luxury department store chain Nordstrom and a fourth-generation leader in his family’s namesake company, died in Seattle on Wednesday, Jan. 2. He was being treated for cancer. Nordstrom was 58 years old.
The company confirmed Nordstrom’s death on Wednesday. In December, Nordstrom disclosed his lymphoma diagnosis to The Seattle Times and stated his plans to continue working through treatment. Though he reduced his travel schedule due to treatment, Nordstrom and his doctors expressed optimism about his prognosis.
It is with great sadness we share that Blake Nordstrom passed away unexpectedly earlier this morning https://t.co/wVYfDbnh67 pic.twitter.com/levdeqWPCR
— Nordstrom (@Nordstrom) January 2, 2019
Blake’s brothers, Pete and Erik Nordstrom, will continue on as co-presidents of the company.
“My heart goes out to the Nordstrom family and everyone at the company during this difficult time,” said Nordstrom Chairman Brad Smith. “Everyone who worked with Blake knew of his passion and deep commitment to employees, customers and the communities we serve. We are fortunate to have continued leadership from co-presidents Pete and Erik Nordstrom.”
(JWN) Nordstrom was founded first as Wallin and Nordstrom by John Nordstrom, a Swedish immigrant, in 1901. With over a century of success in retail, in recent years, Nordstrom has bet on high-touch technology to continue to stay competitive on both brick-and-mortar and e-commerce fronts. The company also experimented with Nordstrom Local locations, with a focus not on merchandise but rather on services such as tailoring, same-day purchase pick-ups, and even personal styling.