Reality Check: When Nordstrom runs the iTunes App Store

Editor’s Note: Welcome to our weekly Reality Check column. We’ve gathered a group of visionaries and veterans in the mobile industry to give their insights into the marketplace.
Most of us know at least one spot for a satisfying retail (or service) experience: A cup of coffee crafted with care at our local coffeehouse, a positive experience from Amazon.com or another customer-focused on-line retailer, the extra effort at a favorite grocer. The pinnacle of this experience is generally known as the “Nordstrom’s” effect – people who care about making the customer look good while staying within budget. Merchandise is very well displayed, and the service is in a class by itself.
That’s why I’m lobbying for someone with a Nordstrom’s spirit to take control of the Blackberry World, Android Market, and even iTunes storefronts. We have been duped by Apple into believing that there is no point of diminishing returns when it comes to applications – that greater value is driven by more choices. To use a retail analogy, it’s as if I’ll be more attracted by searching through 85,000 shirts on the rack at TJ Maxx than examining 85 shirts with superior service at Nordstrom’s. More choices do not equal more utility or even more purchases. A longer rack of apps (especially when I can only see it in groups of 10 or 20) means I’ll waste more of my time in search of value. My time is worth something, and searching through bins at the Apple emporium isn’t worth the effort if I can go elsewhere and have an alternate provider do it for me. Simply put, the problem isn’t that “there’s an app for that” in the iTunes store but rather that “there’s 20 free and 15 paid apps for that.”
The Nordstrom’s associates know when I shopped and what I bought. They know that I’m not wild about paisley, especially if it’s on an article of clothing other than a tie. And they also know that I’m willing to pay for quality, especially in an important staple like a good suit or sport coat. They also care about my wardrobe – how it all fits together – not just my tie or my belt, but the whole thing. Maybe I need more time at my local Apple store hanging out with their geniuses, because I am missing it on iTunes, and that’s by far the closest thing to a valuable customer experience in the app store world.
Apple did a lot for the industry. Their challengers have miles to go, but they can catch up by adopting the Nordstrom’s spirit. Value my time and I’ll reward you with my loyalty and my dollars. That’s the secret to a service-centric applications strategy.
Jim Patterson is CEO & co-founder of Mobile Symmetry, a start-up created for carriers to solve the problems of an increasingly mobile-only society. He was most recently President – Wholesale Services for Sprint and has a career that spans over eighteen years in telecom and technology. He welcomes your comments at jim@mobilesymmetry.com.