Dear Nordstrom, could you please be a little more discreet? ;-) - YouLookFab Forum

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Dear Nordstrom, could you please be a little more discreet? ;-)

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Dear Nordstrom,
I really love your free shipping and free returns and useful search features so I can find great stuff online in your sale racks. But when I place one order for four things, can you please not send four huge boxes, one with a pair of socks, one with a belt, one with one dress and one with another dress? I don't want my husband to have a cow about my shopping habits and the huge stack of boxes at our front door isn't helping. That is all.
Thank you!
Goldenpig

Shopping

20 replies

Latest reply was from DragonflyJane

ironkurtin

Veteran

Dear GP,

I am so glad to see you! Alas, there is no way to prevent husband cow birth in regard to shopping. Do what I do. Keep a bowl of small plastic toy cows by the door. Then when a package comes, hand him a cow. When he collects 5, he can have a tantrum.

OK, I didn't actually do this at home, but it worked really well when I was a PM for web development.

xo

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

I dislike it when companies do that separate shipping in giant boxes thing - not because of my husband (I work at home, I can hide things before he gets home, haha) but because it's so wasteful! I order from drugstore.com regularly, and once there was one item that was backordered and shipped a week or two later. It - being something the size of a shampoo bottle - came in a box that was at least a foot wide on each side, otherwise filled with those inflatable packing plastic things. Ridiculous.

Lisa

Veteran

My hubby freaks out too when he starts seeing multiple boxes. The fact that only one pair of underwear is in each box escapes him.

Makrame

Veteran

I am assuming there is a reason why Nordstrom does this (even though it drives me crazy, too). As far as I can tell, in addition to shipping from their warehouse, they actually identify items in stores and ship them directly from each individual store. There is an advantage to this because occasionally when something goes out of stock, it will temporarily reappear on the website (I am assuming because of returns) and you can snap it up. I am actually rather impressed by Nordstrom's ability to do this since many other retailers seem to keep their store inventory and online inventory separate.

modgrl

(website)

Veteran

I had to start getting stuff shipped to my work. Hubby called me -- rightly so -- on my carbon footprint for having so many boxes shipped to the house. He has zero sympathy for the fact that stores carry neither my clothing or shoe size. I think he is not against shopping, it's the trying and returning that really bothers him.

nancylee

Veteran

Agreed! Nordstrom is notorious for the multiple boxes with one small item per box shipments. It really is annoying...and not very environmentally sound, either.

Fortunately, DH works late lots of nights and I work from home in the afternoons. Since I send back a large portion of what I order online, I can turn things around pretty fast and no one is the wiser!

goldenpig

(website)

Veteran

Yes Rita, exactly! I'm often ordering two sizes to compare or two different styles. And these are items that the local Nordstrom doesn't have (at least they have that search in store function)! The volume of boxes compared to what actually ends up in my closet is embarrassing and environmentally wasteful. I understand why they're doing it (yes Makrame, it looks like some of the items were coming from actual stores), I just wish they'd use smaller boxes or flat envelopes or something. Amazon is the same way with their boxes (I use them a lot because I have Prime), but at least they have some variation in their box size.

Sylvie

Veteran

I agree completely. It's so embarrassing when I walk in the door with a pile of boxes. I've had at least one package arrive every day this week.

Unfortunately, this is just the most efficient way to shop. Stores don't always have everything they sell in stock, many of them don't even stock petites, and the whole store/fitting room routine can be tiring. Being able to order things, try them on at home and return saves me so much time!

I'm lucky that my partner doesn't have an issue with it.

Fruitful

Veteran

Nice to see you posting GP!

IK, you are priceless with the "husband cow birth" and handing out 5 cows to get to have a tantrum! I love it

Elly

Veteran

I never have this problem with Nordies-- everything I have ordered (including undies) came in an appropriately size box. I love their boxes, so nice, don't crush easy, and are easy to tape up for return.

rae

(website)

Veteran

Agree with the huge boxes, and not just nordies - especially for clothes, since they cannot really get dented or break in the mail. They don't need 6" of padding all around! o_0

Aida

Veteran

Hehe! I find the wastefulness annoying, but happily my husband has gotten over box-shock. These days he sees 3 boxes and says "oh hey, there's 3 new items at the door for you"

mamaKate

Veteran

I am lucky to have a DH like Aida. IK you had me rollling on the floor!
My take: invest in delivery and packaging companies!

RandomThoughts (Andrea)

Veteran

Ha! I know the feeling! I got my UWP sweater and a scarf today. TWO GIANT BOXES! Wth, Nordstroms?

Mamapicklejuice

Veteran

Huh, my Nordstrom's boxes always seem tailor made for the items. No complaints here!

velvetychocolate

Veteran

I've been very happy with Nordstrom - the items I receive are packaged perfectly - no wrinkles etc. I ordered a trenchcoat during the NAS and it arrived on a hanger, wrapped and folded gently and then packaged perfectly in a box - the thing was flawless. Not a single crease or rumple. I was quite impressed.

That said, I've noticed that Macy's is getting quite good at packaging their shipments in appropriately sized pouches and/or boxes. I received two of the INC turtleneck sweaters today, and they were folded perfectly - but packed in one of those plastic pouches (like a Fedex pouch, but with the Macy's logo on it) - instead of a giant box buffered with a bunch of those air-filled plastic things.

If it's a coat or a dress - I'd rather have the item shipped the Nordstrom way, because that way I am going to get something that's in perfect condition. Something like a sweater, pj's or socks? No, I don't love it when it comes in a giant box.

I think Amazon is the absolute worst at packaging things in boxes that are way too big for what's inside. A pair of shoes...but packed in a box like I'd ordered a flat-screen tv or something. And what am I supposed to do with all those clear plastic balloon-like things? Filled with air...rectangular shape. Oh well, at least my dog thinks it's fun when I deflate them all so I can throw them into the recycle bin.

lyn*

(website)

Veteran

My security guard goes ... "Are you trying to order EVERYTHING by mail now? EVEN YOUR GROCERIES?"

... yes?

Diana

Veteran

Hee, I just got three items from Nordie's that all came in separate boxes from separate stores. Two of them were very well packaged, in appropriate sized boxes. The third (a pair of shoes) came in an enormous box secured with like one small piece of tape and the box was quite dented up (possibly because it was mostly empty!). In general, I've noticed that things from the stock center are always very well packaged, whereas things from the stores can vary a lot in packaging size and quality.

Another annoying thing to me is that a lot of the items that ship directly from stores don't come with the invoice/return form with the prepaid return label, just with a regular receipt, which makes returns rather annoying (since I can't get to the store to return that way). I did learn recently that you can put multiple returns (even from separate orders) in the same box with any one of the prepaid labels, so that's nice.

Michelle

(website)

Veteran

A pair of socks in one box?/?? Totally absurd! Maybe they're more careful about their international shipments, because I've always received very appropriate packaging. One time I got a couple of layering tees which were just folded nicely in a plastic envelope. Perfect and much more subtle!
Ironkurtain, you are a champion. That is all.

DragonflyJane

Here in the UK most clothing deliveries come in sturdy plastic pouches. The only delivery I receive in boxes is Liz Earle skin care & they are packaged so beautifully it's like having a birthday present to open