US department store retailer Nordstrom is to introduce an Oracle Retail application to improve the size distribution of clothing in its stores.

The size profile optimisation system will ensure a better alignment of the right merchandise in the right sizes to meet customer demand and improve customer service. It will analyse sales data to create size profiles for its clothing merchandise that are unique to each store.

These profiles will assist with decision-making around initial ordering of product, and then allocation and assortment planning decisions. The system can also be used to improve availability, and reduce end-of-season markdowns due to size limitations.

“We have always viewed our technology efforts as customer service initiatives to improve our merchandise offering and the way we serve customers,” said Nordstrom vice president and business information officer Jan Walsh. “We believe the application will help us improve how we assort merchandise for our customers, helping to ensure we have the right merchandise at the right time for customers. Our partnership with Oracle continues to drive measurable results to our business.”