Nordstrom Chief Merchandising Officer Teri Bariquit Is Retiring After 37 Years at the Retailer
One of Nordstrom’s top women in power is stepping down. The Seattle-based retailer said today that company veteran and chief merchandising officer Teri Bariquit is retiring.
The executive, who has been at Nordstrom for 37 years, will remain in her role until a successor is found. Nordstrom has initiated an internal and external search.
“It has been a privilege to spend my career at Nordstrom and work alongside such a talented team – one with a relentless focus on providing customers with the most relevant and inspirational products from the world’s best brands,” Bariquit said in a statement.
Bariquit wrote the first chapter of her Nordstrom story when she was in grade school. “I wanted a pair of Calvin Klein jeans. I lived in Seattle. My mother said, ‘You’re going to have to get a job at Nordstrom.’ And I said, ‘I will.’”
After working at the storied retailer part time in high school, she pursued a degree in accounting and finance, but decided to take a different path and headed back to Nordstrom for a job in the buying office.
She spent more than three decades climbing the merchandising ranks and was named to the newly created role of chief merchandising officer in August 2019. She is credited with transforming the company’s approach to merchandising, leading the digital-first, omnichannel strategy.
“It’s recognizing that customers have access to just about anything that they want, and they have a breadth of choices that are out there when and how they want it,” Bariquit told FN in 2021.
Pete Nordstrom, president and chief merchandising officer of Nordstrom, lauded Bariquit’s significant contributions.
“From her earliest days with the company, Teri has lived our values and led with courage and purpose,” he said in a statement today. “During her tenure, she’s transformed every element of our merchandising organization and positioned our merchandising team for continued success. The impact Teri has made on our company will last well into the future, and I appreciate the thoughtful approach she has taken to planning her retirement. We wish her the best as she begins this next chapter.”