Nordstrom will spend $375m (£229m) or 15% of its planned capital expenditure on improving its technology up to 2016. The money will be primarily used for ecommerce. Chief financial officer Michael Koppel said: “Unlike investments in store expansion, investments to improve ecommerce tend to impact the profit and loss numbers quicker than store projects because of the larger portion expensed versus capitalised.”

President Blake Nordstrom said: “Direct is our fastest-growing part of the business, which is reflective of how customers want to shop. Our strong capital position allows us to make the necessary investments to stay relevant with our customers.”