NORDSTROM LOVES ITALY: PHASE TWO

The Italian Trade Commission (ITA) will debut its second phase of the “WE LOVE IT” promotion in four Nordstrom stores in Texas from March 4 to April 17, 2016. Fifty-six Italian fashion brands, including Marco Pescarolo, Tramontano and Giangi Napoli, will participate in the much-coveted Pop-In@Nordstrom shops curated by Olivia Kim.

The first phase of the promotion “WE LOVE IT” launched in eight stores in Texas back in September to highlight its existing Made in Italy offering. The ITA trained Nordstrom’s sales force, focusing on the Italian-made products; hosted shopping events dedicated to the customers and created visual displays.

“Our customers enjoyed the events to tell the Made in Italy story,” said Kim, vice president of creative projects at Nordstrom. “We celebrated more than 50 Italian brands in our stores, and the partnership has been well-received.”

This successful partnership with Nordstrom is happening at a time in which the Italian economy is showing reassuring signs of improvement. From January to August 2015, Italian exports to the U.S. reached 26.4 billion euros (approximately $29 billion), up 28% compared to the same period in 2014 (data US Department of Commerce), with strong gains in clothing, footwear, and leather goods.

“The American market is strategically very important for Made in Italy and there is definitely room for growth for many PMI,” said Licia Mattioli, president of the Technical Committee for the Internationalization and Foreign Investors. “We must strengthen our presence, especially in those States where the offer of Italian products doesn’t have a strong alliance with the large-scale retail channels. Our relationships with independent retailers must be strengthened too.”