These Retail Workers Make Your Holiday Shopping Spree Possible

The holidays are a hectic time of year for everyone. But for those working in the retail and logistics industries, it’s the busiest time. From selecting the carols that play in the store to deciding the most eye-catching places to display toys to getting those Amazon packages to your doorstep on time, there are thousands of people responsible for making the holiday shopping merry. Here are a few of their stories.

Nordstrom starts setting the scene a year in advance.

When shoppers across the country walk into a Nordstrom this week, they will be met with twinkling lights, garlands hung around the store and Mariah Carey crooning that all she wants for Christmas is youuuuu.

But the planning that goes into creating an experience that puts shoppers in the holiday spirit starts a year ahead, when executives at the department store select the overall theme, which sets the tone for the décor, said Paige Boggs, the vice president of store environment at Nordstrom.

This year’s theme at Nordstrom is “Home for the Holidays,” a nod toward nostalgia and the traditions surrounding Christmas. Late last year, the store’s in-house design team and a group of engineers began to create décor around the theme, which included holiday villages and candles placed in windows. Those bigger items are manufactured and shipped to Nordstrom’s 93 stores by August, Mrs. Boggs said.