Nordstrom

[Amare]

The entrance off the EC on both sides (north and south) feels understated and of no particular import.

To me that alone was a serious mistake.

I would also add, while I find the EC store nice, and well-appointed, it just feels small to me. I think, in part, it's victimized by people's memories of what Eaton's looked/felt like at its best, as well as the scale of the south mall.

Obviously it was never going to be as big as Sears, let alone the former Eaton's. Current sales also don't justify a larger footprint.

Nordstrom's original plan when designing the Eaton Centre location was that they wanted to generate traffic primarily from within the mall, and they didnt want Yonge Street to serve as a major foot traffic point which is why it looks as understated as it does. Security was another concern. The Eaton Centre also was a deviation from their usual plan since they like to stick to building their stores from the ground up as opposed to being constrained and renovating interiors.

From what I understand, they also initially had reservations with offering too many products downtown and/or overwhelming consumers with too many product offerings, but in my opinion that's just spin since the amount they spent here is a drop in the bucket compared to what they're doing in NYC.

I've also thought that splitting Toronto's downtown luxury market into two different zones made little sense. I still wish at least one of those stores had gone into The Hudson's Bay Centre (at Yonge & Bloor).

I couldnt agree more. HBC would have been the obvious choice since they already have a location they could have overhauled completely into a Saks, Nordstrom at the time would have had trouble finding a suitable location unless the chose to partner with the 1BE development to build a flagship.

Either way the status quo isnt sustainable and any one of them will feel the pain significantly if they dont change. Whichever one is first to change will take over downtown core luxury market.

 

[Skeezix]

Was at Toronto Eaton Centre Nordstrom today.

I find the men's floor dull. I suppose I wasn't looking for anything specific, and maybe I wasn't in the mood to browse, so perhaps my criticism is unfair. But, nonetheless, I'm never bored like that wandering through the fifth floor at Hudson's Bay Queen St. or Harry Rosen. If I had been buying something, the service undoubtedly would have been excellent. But nothing motivated me to stop and buy.

Also, my first visit to a Canadian Nordstrom was the Rideau Centre store, and I remember a small housewares section outside the restaurant that made me stop and take notice. A nice curated collection of interesting products, with eye-catching design, with some local stuff thrown in. Checked out the equivalent space at the TEC Nordstrom today. Not at all what I remember. Basically the same stuff one sees at H&M Home or Zara Home, with a bit more quality but not any more interest. Stuff one can get anywhere, but at higher prices than most places. The housewares at Indigo have more visual appeal.

 

[junctionist]

I was surprised at how small the selection is at the Yorkdale location. It's almost like a different store than the American version. Plus, you can't shop online without having to pay duties. If you shop online, you have to mail your merchandise back to the US if you need to make a return, which is a few steps behind the Bay's seamless online shopping experience with in-store returns. But it's the same thing with the Bay's Saks Fifth Avenue division.

 

[interchange42]

Here are shots from the Sherway Gardens store from last week. This was just around closing time, and I only had a few minutes in the store, so I haven't formed any opinion of the selection, but I thought the store simply looked beautiful. It's the kind of atmosphere that makes me want to shop… but I'll have to check out the selection and prices later!

I'll be putting a few more pics into the Sherway thread in the Buildings section of the forum.

42

 

[TransitBart]

The stores Sears is closing are in Vancouver, Calgary and OTTAWA. I can see Vancouver or Calgary being a first to market city, but Ottawa??

Government town. Stable economy. Predictable incomes. Not a brutally competitive market.

 

[syn]

Was at Toronto Eaton Centre Nordstrom today.

I find the men's floor dull. I suppose I wasn't looking for anything specific, and maybe I wasn't in the mood to browse, so perhaps my criticism is unfair. But, nonetheless, I'm never bored like that wandering through the fifth floor at Hudson's Bay Queen St. or Harry Rosen. If I had been buying something, the service undoubtedly would have been excellent. But nothing motivated me to stop and buy.

Also, my first visit to a Canadian Nordstrom was the Rideau Centre store, and I remember a small housewares section outside the restaurant that made me stop and take notice. A nice curated collection of interesting products, with eye-catching design, with some local stuff thrown in. Checked out the equivalent space at the TEC Nordstrom today. Not at all what I remember. Basically the same stuff one sees at H&M Home or Zara Home, with a bit more quality but not any more interest. Stuff one can get anywhere, but at higher prices than most places. The housewares at Indigo have more visual appeal.

I've felt the same way in the 2-3 times I've visited (one of those was at their Yorkdale location).

Not very compelling. I'd expect better at the price points they're working with.

 

[TransitBart]

Here are shots from the Sherway Gardens store from last week. This was just around closing time, and I only had a few minutes in the store, so I haven't formed any opinion of the selection, but I thought the store simply looked beautiful. It's the kind of atmosphere that makes me want to shop… but I'll have to check out the selection and prices later!

View attachment 122898 View attachment 122899 View attachment 122900 View attachment 122901 View attachment 122902 View attachment 122903 View attachment 122904 View attachment 122905

I'll be putting a few more pics into the Sherway thread in the Buildings section of the forum.

42

From some angles, looks quite dark.

 

[TransitBart]

For the price, try Simons at Square One. Canadian and also well put together I believe.

 

[Dan416]

Nordstrom Rack opens Sept 6 at Heartland. Signage is up indicating this. Saw it today, it must have gone up in the last week or so.

 

[torontowest91]

Yes, they have a bigger mens then Vaughan for example.

 

[christiesplits]

I'm not a department store person in the slightest. I always found them dreary, cold and stuck in the 1980s.

Last weekend I was at the Nordstrom at Yorkdale and was pleasantly surprised. I loved the natural light from the large windows, the wine bar in the middle of the sales floor, and the small amenities like cushy chairs and charging stations.

 

[torontowest91]

How is nordstorm doing? I find the Sherway is never that busy.

 

[officedweller]

How is nordstorm doing? I find the Sherway is never that busy.

Sherway Gardens is #8 in Canada for sales per sq ft - behind Square One:

Canadian Shopping Centre Study 2019 - Retail Council of Canada

Ranking of Canada’s top mall productivity and visitor counts Retail Council of Canada’s 2019 Canadian Shopping Centre Study consolidates year-over-year information on Canada’s top 30 shopping centres and provides an overview of the notable future development projects across Canada. This Study is...

www.retailcouncil.org

 

[torontowest91]

Yes but that actual store nordstorm.

 

[AlbertC]

Nordstrom stores will reopen tomorrow - June 11th, 2020:

Nordstrom Reopening Most Remaining Canadian Stores on Thursday

The upscale Seattle-based retailer will open the doors to nine stores on Thursday with enhanced cleaning and other protocols.

www.retail-insider.com