Nordstrom is a highly respected retailer and although the interview was somewhat formal, it was also very relaxed. I felt I was able to maintain a nice conversation with my interviewer and it was mostly stereotypical interview questions.

I applied online, got an email back saying they want to do a phone screen. The phone screen was literally just them scheduling an in person interview. I got to the store and I and about 9 other candidates sat in a seating area outside of the restrooms where the manager offices were (not everyone was interviewing for shoe sales). We were called back a few people at a time for a "group interview," which was really just 1 on 1 interviews happening in the same room. I have never worked retail so my recruiter skipped all the retail related questions. I'm guessing if I had worked retail he would have asked me to sell him a pair of shoes or to describe my retail experience, but we spent about 5-10 minutes in the interview room, he asked me non-retail related questions (very basic interview questions), showed me the shoe floor and stock room, and I left. MAKE YOURSELF STAND OUT. This is huge. I wore a bright orange dress and floral patterned heels while everyone else was dressed in muted tones (someone was wearing jeans...). It draws your recruiter's eye immediately to the person who looks different. And in a job where a great sense of fashion is a must, there's no reason why you shouldn't show off your personal style (even if you think it's unprofessional to not wear black).