Nordstrom Founder's Grandson Talking Marketing, Merchandising in Rancho Mirage

A grandson of the founder of the Nordstrom department store chain will speak in Rancho Mirage Wednesday.

Bruce A. Nordstrom will give a free lecture titled "The Nordstrom Way" at 7 p.m. at the Rancho Mirage Public Library and answer questions afterward, according to library spokeswoman Susan Cook.

Nordstrom will "bring to his audience the best ideas he has about marketing, merchandising, and 21st Century retailing in a world of ever- increasing consumer choices," she said.

Nordstrom started in the stockroom at the family store in downtown Seattle, eventually graduating to the sales floor and working his way up the ladder.

He ran the retail chain founded by his grandfather from 1968 to 1995 and served as chairman from 2000 to 2006.

John W. Nordstrom started out with a shoe store in Seattle in 1901. Today, it boasts about 230 stores in 31 states.

In 2007, Bruce Nordstrom wrote "Leave it Better Than You Found It" about the history of the family business and its philosophy toward customers, employees and social responsibility. He is No. 1,175 on Forbes' billionaires list, with a net worth of $1.2 billion.

Seating is first come, first served.