Challenge
Nordstrom’s Experience Innovation Team needed to engage a new generation of shoppers—Millennial women—for whom the traditional in-store beauty counter no longer had a gravitational pull. The challenge was to understand how “self-care” was evolving and where Nordstrom could authentically participate in this cultural shift, beyond skincare and cosmetics.

Insight
Using a layered qualitative research approach—including ethnographic artifact collection, influencer roundtables, and semiotics frameworks—we uncovered a deeply personal definition of self-care among young women centered around their wellbeing: menstrual health, fertility, sexual wellness, and early motherhood. These insights revealed a powerful emotional link between past shopping rituals (like buying their first bra at Nordstrom) and their current self-care needs.

Impact
By connecting the dots between nostalgic retail experiences and modern wellness priorities, we identified a distinctive, trust-based space for Nordstrom in the growing FemTech category. The work led to a new product assortment concept that included menstrual, sexual, and hormone innovations—grounded in both emotional resonance and cultural relevance.