The challenge of providing consistent, high-quality service offers an opportunity
for a retailer to develop a sustainable competitive advantage. For example,
Nordstrom has devoted considerable time and effort to develop an organizational
culture that stimulates and supports excellent customer service. Competing
department stores would like to offer the same level of service but find it hard to
match Nordstrom’s performance—an asset that Nordstrom has built over the
last 75 years.