Is The Nordstrom Trunk Club Really Worth The Money?

When Nordstrom acquired Trunk Club for $350 million in 2014, the brand had big plans. Online styling services were really picking up steam; competitors such as Stitch Fix and DailyLook had already been going strong for years.

The premise behind Nordstrom Trunk Club is pretty simple: users create and complete a profile on the site that details their style preferences, sizes, and budgets. The brand's style team then puts together a personalized trunk and sends it out; users have five days to try everything on and decide what to buy.

The online personal style service market is currently a bit saturated, which means it takes effort to stand out. Luckily, a lot of people are really into Trunk Club. Macy Cate Williams, the shopping editor at PopSugar, had nothing but praise for the service when she reviewed it in 2020. "I thought I might enjoy Trunk Club, but I had no idea that I would absolutely love it. It was like having my own mini department store inside my apartment."

Unlike some home styling services, Nordstrom Trunk Club requires its users to pay a $25 styling fee. That fee is credited toward any purchases you make, but is still something that gives many people pause. After all: It can be tough to invest in a service before you've had a chance to really try it out.

According to a multitude of reviews on ConsumerAffairs, the $25 is not the only thing to be concerned about. While there's a healthy mix of positive and negative reviews, the most recent reviews indicate the service may have undergone some recent changes. One person writes that not only did their stylist change several times, they couldn't return the clothes they purchased. "In a month's time, the stylist assigned to the account changed 3x. Not sure if this was due to turnover. Nordstrom's flexible return policy does not extend to Trunk Club, even though the same clothes are being sold on both Nordstrom and Trunk Club."