For years, family management of Nordstrom Inc. was part of the upscale department-store chain's endearing charm. The personal touch helped burnish its reputation for superb service and high quality. But when Nordstrom pushed beyond the Northwest and California in the '90s, that abruptly changed. Suddenly, the Seattle-based company was struggling to compete with such nimble competitors as May Department Stores, Neiman Marcus, and Saks. Nordstrom's "office of the co-presidency," held by six young members of the family's fourth generation, became a lightning rod for industry ridicule and a symbol of its sluggishness. "Six co-presidents? Give me a break," says Paul R. Charron, CEO and chairman of Liz Claiborne Inc., a major Nordstrom supplier. "It was a multi-headed hydra."
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机译：多年来，Nordstrom Inc.的家族管理一直是高档百货连锁店引人入胜的魅力的一部分。个性化的服务有助于提高其以优质服务和高品质的声誉。但是当90年代Nordstrom超越西北和加利福尼亚时，情况突然发生了变化。突然，这家位于西雅图的公司正在努力与May百货商店，Neiman Marcus和Saks等灵活的竞争对手竞争。由家族第四代的六个年轻成员担任的诺德斯特罗姆（Nordstrom）的“共同主席办公室”，成为业界嘲笑的避雷针，并标志着其呆滞。诺德斯特罗姆（Nordstrom）主要供应商利兹·克莱伯恩（Liz Claiborne Inc.）首席执行官兼董事长保罗·R·夏隆（Paul R. Charron）说：“六位联合主席？ “这是多头的九头蛇。”
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