SEATTLE, Wash. - May 15, 2001 - Nordstrom, Inc., a leading fashion specialty retailer, today presented Exclusively Misook and J&A Shoe Company with the company's ninth annual Partners In Excellence Award during its annual meeting of shareholders in Seattle. The award recognizes Nordstrom vendors that demonstrate exceptional commitment to quality, value, service, partnership and business ethics.

"Misook Doolittle really listens to our customers and frequently makes personal appearances in our stores," said Pete Nordstrom, Nordstrom executive vice president and president, full-line stores. "We believe that interaction allows Exclusively Misook to provide Nordstrom with different colors and silhouettes that respond to customer needs and help us to be more competitive."

The Exclusively Misook collection was born out of the talent and passion of Misook Doolittle. She began knitting sweaters as a hobby, but soon found that women everywhere appreciate the care, attention and style that characterize her designs. Over the last 15 years, Misook has seen a $300 initial investment sprout into a multi-million dollar company. Despite this staggering growth, Misook has remained true to her vision of making nothing less than the high-quality, stylish clothes that her customers have come to expect.

"As a designer, I try to deliver a product in terms of quality and attention to detail that transcends price point," said Misook Doolittle, president, Exclusively Misook.

"Selling to Nordstrom has been a great education because it's helped me learn how to effectively deal with the myriad details a small company like mine encounters; to make sure goods are shipped on time, and how to best handle customer service."

Founded in 1983 by Alex Kats, J&A Shoe Company, Inc. is a family affair. The company is based in Gardena, California and offers shoes under the brand names, Callisto of California, Lia Bijou, Athena Alexander and Rolling Heels. All aspects of product development and production are overseen and supervised by Alex Kats and his daughter Leah Kats Bizoumis. J&A Shoe Company's philosophy is to provide customer satisfaction and comfort.

"J&A Shoe Company does an amazing job of manufacturing great fitting, comfortable and updated classic sandals at very fair prices," noted Nordstrom. "By consistently responding promptly and with innovative ideas, they are a model for any vendor. We consider ourselves very fortunate to partner with a company that successfully anticipates our needs and remains focused on our success."

"We are thrilled to work with Nordstrom. They are a rare vendor that completely understands their customer," said Leah Kats Bizoumis, vice president, J&A Shoe Company. "As a second-generation shoe family, we are honored to accept the Partners in Excellence Award and we will continue to adapt to Nordstrom customers' needs and expectations in the future."

During its 100-year history, Nordstrom has long recognized the important role vendors play in successfully meeting the needs of its customers. Exclusively Misook and J&A Shoe Company were selected from approximately 30,000 vendors that have done business with Nordstrom. Last year Nordstrom honored Lancôme, Paris and Garfield & Marks Design, Ltd. with the Partners in Excellence award.

Celebrating 100 years of service, Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 122 US stores located in 24 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 77 full-line stores, 39 Nordstrom Racks, three Façonnable boutiques, two free-standing shoe stores, and one clearance store. Nordstrom also operates 20 international Façonnable boutiques, primarily in Europe. Additionally, Nordstrom serves customers through its online presence at http://www.nordstrom.com and through its direct mail catalogs. Nordstrom, Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.