What Is Going On At Nordstrom? | Retail Archaeology 

Nordstrom used to be SUPER classy. They always had a pianist on weekends and the employees were extremely well-dressed. Their anniversary sale was a huge deal and they often had bustling restaurants at their busier locations.

all the luxury is gone from American retail. everything looks like a Walmart. fact!

Nordstrom Rack used to be where Nordstrom would send closeouts, remainders, and end-of-season merchandise. Then about 20 years ago a new management team swept in and the number of Rack locations exploded. You can still find markdowns from regular Nordstrom stores, but those are rare. You are more likely to find items purchased specifically for Rack locations, and they have become junky accordingly. It’s sad.

Seeing an expensive Acne sweater on a wire hanger is such a crime. Good knits should be folded!

What really struck me about that Nordstrom is that it just does not look like a place that should have clothes at that price point. While I do not shop at Nordstrom, I've been to the one in Chicago and it looks like a luxury store. High end furnishings, well kept, and lots of semi-private nooks and crannies and mini botiques. It really helps buy into the idea that it's a store where you buy luxury goods. That Nordstrom looked like any other department store and I can't imagine dropping several hundred on a shirt there. Even though it should make no rational difference.

Considering the high end fashions they sell- that store is a dump. It looks like a Macy's. Very surprised by this actually!

I picked up at a local thrift store a brand new pair of mens dress shoes. They were $20 at the thrift store but they were going out of business, so they were marked 75% off making them $5. The only thing missing was the box. No wear on the shoes on the sole or the inside. I looked them up on Nordstrom, they sold for over $300. Glad to pay $5

I shop at Nordstrom occasionally, and yeah, Racks can look dumpy but you can find reasonably great deals in them. Picked up a designer winter hat, scarf, and gloves for $40. Usually runs $300. Some of the full line stores even have restaurants too and are surprisingly reasonably priced considering. Got a burger and fries at the Vegas location last summer for ~$18.

I used to love Nordstroms, the customer service was fantastic. I’d go in, say my budget and what I wanted, and the shop girls would help me pick out clothes, and they were really good at it. It had an excellent bra selection with sizes not found at other department stores, and with legitimate fittings, it’s rare to have that nowadays. And they had a tailoring service, they’d hem and alter clothes for you and it was really affordable. They’d turn regular bras into nursing bras for like $15. Most of the Nordstroms closed in my area, Portland OR, but there is one downtown which seems to have a decent amount of foot traffic in the shoe/accessories/cosmetic area. But the top floor is like a ghost store and there is no juniors section. They use to have the best junior section, outshining other stores; affordable but yet same good quality and service. I still go there for high end makeup and the service is still really good in that department even though I’m not a big spender in that category.

I have some friends that used to work at Nordstrom. They told me that internally there has been a push by Executives to open more Nordstrom Rack locations for many years now. That it's caused division within the company because Nordstrom opens more Rack locations than main stores. And that Nordstrom is unintentially competing against itself and causing problems. Part of Nordstrom is Iuxury brand appeal, and the Rack was NEVER meant to be a replacement for the mainline Nordstrom stores. Rack was just meant as a secondary store to clear out old stock, and clothing that is no longer the latest fashions. It's not an even distribution of stores. For every 1 main Nordstrom store, the Executives would open 2 or 3 Rack locations in nearby areas. So less people shop at the main stores and just go to Racks since they are in the same general area. And that's why shopping at main line Nordstroms is down much more than Rack locations.

The huge Nordstrom in what use to be the Westfield mall in downtown San Francisco just closed in August last year and so did the Nordstrom Rack right across the street. I haven’t been in the Nordstrom there in years. But, in its heyday, there was the gentleman playing piano. The Cafe and a restaurant. And, a full service spa on the top floor. They even had a climate controlled facility and service where you could have them store your fur coats. Talk about luxury. They were know for great customer service and no snooty attitude. Everybody must have wanted to work in the shoe department earning those huge commissions. It was ALWAYS crazy busy. Alas, no more middle class. High inflation and low wages. No one has money to spend on luxuries.

I miss the days when they had live piano players! I mostly go in there to buy bras because they have more sizes and actually know how to fit someone properly.

Perhaps people are getting wise to the reality that a designer name does not mean higher quality clothing, just an absurdly high price tag. What used to set Nordstrom apart, and I don't know if it's still true, is that their salespeople were on commission, and genuinely provided help. They used to have a reputation for having trained bra fitters, for example -- something no other department store had.

Nordstrom used to have the best menswear for the money of any of the department stores. It was expensive but fit well and lasted forever. Their store brand dress shirts were better than even costly designer shirts - doctors and lawyers always wore Nordstrom dress shirts. I would never pay list price but during their big annual sale on menswear - I think it was in January - I’d buy shirts and pants from them. Their salespeople were professionals who had great eyes for fashion - I’d get random compliments just walking down the street on shirts and ties Nordstrom’s salespeople had recommended I buy. I think people have largely abandoned department stores for fast fashion retailers and high end boutiques. Nordstrom should have hung onto their salespeople and expanded their business as fashion consultants, helping make sure you spent your money on clothes that actually make you look sharp. Instead they sacked them all and left customers to wander around a maze of expensive product. Of course sales are down. It doesn’t help that either that most office jobs are done partially or fully from home these days. People don’t need to look sharp 5 days a week. They aren’t going to be buying as many if any nice clothes.

I've never been in a Nordstrom, and seeing those prices I probably never will. I could be a millionaire and I'd still never spend $100 on a plain tshirt, the leather jacket I could maybe justify being expensive but $1800 dollars is insane

I used to shop at that Nordstrom's. I used to buy accessories, cufflinks, ties etc., from the same salesman for years. That was when I was making better money than I am today, and I was working with people in person. I used to eat in that cafe. It was a place I could decompress. If you go to the Neiman Marcus in the same mall, that Nordstrom's may seem reasonably priced after a trip there.

Last time I shopped in a Nordstrom was 2002, bought a pair of shoes then went and bought a car. BIG mistake, the car dealer saw me walking on the lot with a Nordstrom bag and started salivating.

A few thoughts from an old Boomer who shopped there back in the day: Nordstrom competed by offering a level of service consistent with its prices. The stores themselves were elegant in big cities; in smaller markets like Phoenix (smaller thirty years ago, when Nordstrom came to Scottsdale Fashion Square) the store layout could be fairly generic. The $1300 leather jacket is a small example of what things use to be like; you could spend thousands on a garment at Nordstrom, men's or women's (and I'm speaking of Scottsdale; imagine the prices in Chicago or Seattle). But Nordstrom is like the malls themselves: it thrived in the days -- the '80s and well into the '90s -- when average consumers had good money to spend. Now that they don't it isn't what it used to be.

Nordstrom mainline is perhaps the top of the game if you're in sales. My mom worked at that very Nordstrom in scottsdale, started working about $6k in debt, she was able to pay it off in 2 weeks from commission alone (which I think is about 10%). Say what you will about price tags, they sure know how to treat the people who make their money.

I shop at Nordstrom's. I made an appointment for a personal shopper pick out a bunch of clothes for me to close from. I am bad at shopping, and needed a capsule wardrobe that looked good on me. The prices were a touch higher ($90 for a pair of pants), but they are classically tailored, had free tailoring for all my clothes, and well made. I loved that I didn't have to wander aimlessly, could choose from clothes that were picked for my taste, have them tailored for free, and be on my way. Now I won't need to shop for a long time. Well worth the money.

Those prices used to be indicative of quality and material and that's why they had a premium price tag. However, these days they have kept the high price tags and the quality of the clothing has gone down.. looking at those clothes on the rack all of the t-shirts look very shlubby, nothing different than a normal big box store.

There used to be a Nordstrom near me, which took over a Sears location. The bottom 3 floors were the full-line Nordstrom, while the top floor was a Nordstrom Rack. It was really strange because aside from the name, there were no similarities between the two. The second you went up that final escalator, you got transported to an entirely different store. Gone were the wide aisles and the orderly displays, replaced by rack upon rack of clothes in no easily distinguishable order, and shelves just crammed full of product. Oddly, I'd never actually looked at any of the prices at the full-line Nordstrom. I only went there with the girl I was dating at the time, and she had no interest in Nordstrom, only Nordstrom Rack. I'd never realized though that the price difference between the two was that dramatic, since I'd assumed that the Rack section was just their clearance department. They went out of business last June, after only eight years at that location, marking their final exit from Canada.

Welcome back, and I hope that your holiday season was restful and recuperative Personally, I remember a time when Nordstrom was nicer than what it looks like from this video. It was a much different time back then. Occasionally I would get some cosmetics or reasonable, handbags, or gloves from the Nordstrom store itself but I would get it online even though they have so many stores in my state I like Nordstrom rack for some things. I wouldn’t go to the one in Boston because it seems really dirty and disorganized. I order online and I don’t know if it’s coming from another to dirty store but I’ve actually purchased Moschino boots and gloves, very inexpensively from there and I still have them after several years and still use them so it was a good deal I think. If I were in the market for outlet stores or anything similar to Nordstrom rack, I much prefer Saks off fifth. The one in my community is very clean and organized and the people they are very helpful and plus they have some interesting merchandise at fairly good prices, there. I knew you wouldn’t be picking up anything from the Nordstrom store but I had hoped to pick up some thing from Nordstrom rack and you certainly did. I love it. I also love the attention to the half-full drink cups because it wouldn’t be a store tour without them. Take care and thank you!

As a Canadian I was intrigued when Nordstrom entered the Canadian market in 2014 with its first store in Oil rich Calgary. They expanded to 6 department stores (I think)and hand full of Nordstrom Racks across Canada over the years. However, they closed all stores this past June. Just shy of 10 years. Apparently they were never able to turn a profit in Canada just losses. I walked in to Nordstroms a couple times in Canada and the US. I couldn't afford much at regular price and even checking out the traditional clearance months of January & June, just proved it was not meant for a middle class income. Walking in to Nordstrom Rack was more affordable, but they were often out of they way in Canadian cities. Quite honestly, they weren't much different than Winners/Marshall's owned by TJX. To be honest, I found the selection better at Winners/Marshall's. Bottom line is I don't think it's a surprise that Nordstroms is suffering losses. Given other department stores are also suffering. Luxury goods are a limited market. Like most things these days, my thought is if a person wants that item, a person will go buy it directly from the brand store or website.

When I lived in WA, I used to buy shoes at Nordstrom, which makes sense because they started out as a shoe store. Having problem feet, the Nordie's shoe salespeople really knew their stuff, but I haven't even been in a regular Nordstrom in like 20 years & I can never find anything at a Rack, so I stopped trying.

In the 1980s and 90s Nordstrom was really nice. The sales associates were the best and it was Fun in a classy way. One could find high end clothes and when you bought something it was a special, happy event. I’m really sad that those days are gone!

Nordstrom is SO pricey and ridiculous. I never shop at Ross or Nordstrom Rack because it's such a mess all the time, it makes it hard to find things. It's so much easier to shop Kohls or Target for this reason alone. Amazon has killed all the stores in the malls. A Mall is becoming a thing of the past.

I used to buy Hosiery and Spanx from Nordstrom! They were not available in other stores at the time! I also bought an evening gown in clearance once! Loved the Piano Player and the Ladies Restroom/Lounge!

Nordstrom is a semi luxury store so those prices make sense. I have to tell you… it gets much more expensive than this. Do a video on Saks 5th Ave or Neiman Marcus if you want a real shock.

Nordstrom rack only carries about six brands for Men's clothing: Penguin, Abound, Theory, Slate&Stone, Tommy Bahama. If you don't like these brands you don't need to shop there.

Nordstrom Caffe had the Frapachinos before Starbucks adopted them. They still make better ones too, good memories (Dark Chocolate Icestorm with two add shots please).

The regular Nordstrom stores do not over buy that is why the stores appear so neat and clean… even on the sale racks. That is 1 huge difference between them and the other department stores. I really miss the fact that they no longer have in store customer service departments. There were many classy things about this store that are just gone. It is sad.

The 30 year old, never renovated Dillards at the Cool Springs Mall in Franklin TN looked 100x better than that Nordstrom's you visited. I've been to the Nordstorm's in Green Hills once, it was MUCH NICER than that dump, but man did it make me feel uncomfortable. Looking at the prices I realized this was a place where very vain, shallow, fragile ego types with FU money shopped. Dillards, its on the "slightly bougie" end of the scale, but everything they sell is NICE/QUALITY/WELL MADE. I always buy their house brand of underwear, socks, undershirts etc when they go on sale, they end up lasting for years unlike wal-mart or target crap. Also got 3 pairs of Levis in there last time for $40 a pair on sale.

Yeah, they can't seriously be surprised that luxury brands are suffering during this economy. I have been completing returns at my mall regularly because people can't pay for tires or heating oil. They're definitely not spending $500 on an ugly scarf.

I love when your videos open with an homage to the StarChild logo, reminds me of watching old ADV Films anime DVDs from the early 2000’s

When I was growing up, my mom used to take my sister and I to the Nordstrom in the Annapolis Mall. It was an experience. There would often be a live pianist playing jazz standards on the store’s grand piano, and if someone had to make an announcement over the P.A. system, they would use a soothing voice so that it would not interfere with the performance. There was gleaming marble and chrome everywhere. Upstairs in the junior’s department, there were giant screens broadcasting music videos constantly, and the racks were full of trendy brands from L.A. that were hard to find anywhere else in Maryland. Nearby was the Nordstrom Café, which served an elevated version of American cuisine. No other store in the mall had better customer service. Of course, many of the departments were too pricey for my family, but we didn’t even need to spend much money to have a good time there. That particular store went out of business in the last few years. I think rising costs of living and retail models that emphasize convenience over creating an experience, such as ordering an item online and picking it up at the store, have taken a bite out of what made Nordstrom successful in the first place. In addition to that, the Internet has helped smaller boutiques reach a wider audience, and the exclusivity factor is not really there anymore for most Nordstrom merchandise. Also, the fashion market is over-saturated with too many products that look the same, so why buy a plain white shirt from Nordstrom when any store in your area sells it for less? Still, I wonder if there are any Nordstrom stores that still have live piano players.

I worked at the one that used to be at Circle Centre Mall in Indianapolis in the mid 90s (closed around 2005) and it was FABULOUS! It truly was a world apart at that time, and for those of us who know and remember, there is an incredible decline in service and merchandise since its heyday. I rarely shop there any longer.

It's sad to see department stores suffering like this, but when you showed the price tags on those Nordstrom clothes... holy hell fuck them they should close now. The sad part is those clothes are probably made by poor children in southern asian countries.

The best part of Nordstrom is by far their restaurants. They are often hidden gems and a bit pricey but the food is seriously excellent.

The first Retail Archaeology video of 2024 Awesome

I've always considered Nordstrom's full line stores to be for wealthy, older, and fashionably conservative executive or country club clients, not Neiman-Marcus rich or Saks Fifth Avenue stylish. They're more like a Burberry's type customer. They haven't changed much since the 80s. They were famous for having an absolutely no-questions-asked return policy. I don't know if they still do. As for Nordstrom Rack, the stuff in there just doesn't seem very "Nordstrom", in other words, you're not getting marked down or overstocks of merchandise from their mainline stores. You're getting stuff that can be found pretty much anywhere at those prices. I don't know who the Rack's customers are. Are they teen/young adult trend conscious, or adult fashion conscious, or the typical outlet store customer?

Wow. The Nordstrom Rack in your video is a lot sadder than the one by mom’s place in the SoCal suburbs! You’re so right when saying it looked like a Ross or Marshall’s. With full-line Nordstrom stores, I think that targeted social advertising for smaller brands at comparable prices makes it so much easier to shop at home from a phone than going to a mall?

It’s sad we think of $1800 as a mortgage payment now 😭 Great video as always! I forgot to comment on the last video but a Scheels video would be fun it looks like an awesome store.

Then there was the employment workshop after jail and the motivational guest speaker told us about taking his teen daughter to Nordstrom to buy her first bra, I think he was a single dad or something. I went to the bathroom to cry a lot during the workshop.

The service and good were so great 20 years ago when I first shopped there. I moved cities and the local store was more middle tier market, and the offering seem slimmer with every year. Stopped shopping when they decided to discriminate eliminate Ivanka Trump’s line, even though her offerings were among the nicest things there. Last visit a couple of years ago, even less inventory appeared to be on offer.

I used to work at Nordstrom, they tried to steal my last paycheck claiming they overpaid me, but my dad just happened to be in the store the day I quit and he went with me into the HR department and got her to cut me my last paycheck.

I shop Nordstrom online often. The service is very good. I usually wait for sales. I haven’t been in the Scottsdale store for years because I hate driving there. It’s a bit too far. I do like Nordstrom though and hope they survive.

I have crazy nostalgia for Nordstrom since it was always the store I walked through to enter my childhood mall. Plus it's the only department store I know of with its own coffee shop which is a huge plus in my book

I don't shop there often but I love the experience of shopping at Nordy, the branch I used to visit had an elegant piano player and a really good cafe. I believe the bulk of shopping that takes place at their full price stores occurs in June at the big Anniversary sale.

So I was hoping you were going to end up at the at that high end, white T shirts, final resting place, (where it sells for 9.99) at Last Chance. It starts at Nordstrom's in Scottsdale, moves down Camelback to the Nordstrom's rack at Town and Country. And then it goes across the street to Last Chance, down in the basement of the Former colonnade mall At 20th and Camelback. Ironically, in a subterranean space that used to hold a Ross department store.

Even if I had the money to afford these clothes the first thing that I thought while watching this was... "this is Nordstrom"? This type of clothes quality is no different that something you could pick up at a JCPenney or a Dillard's but yet they cost $400, $600 and $1800?? I don't get it. They don't even look good and look destined for a consignment shop. If I had that kind of money to blow on an outfit I'd just hire a tailor.

I was in New orleans 2 years ago and I went into Nordstrom Rack store. I came out with a pair of shoes for $40.00 that retail for $280. Thank God I had Gift cards. Since then I never went back into a another Nordstorms Rack store. I wasn't impress with the selection of clothes and other goods in the Rack store. The same merchandise that they have there. I could get at TJMAxx, Ross or even MArshall at a very low discount price. Nordstorms store is more for the upper class rich people. LOL!!! (In my opinion) Like movies stars, singers and other rich people. That's ok by me. Sooner or later I will find these same high end clothing at the Goodwill store. Thanks for sharing.

I remember in the 1960s and into the early 1970s that older department stores like the iconic Brandeis department store in downtown Omaha, Nebr. had a soda fountain on the main floor that sold beverages, shakes and ice cream. I always thought that was classy. And during that same time frame some "full line" Sears stores had their own restaurants, in addition to their own beauty parlors and watch repair shops. I realy miss Sears.

Is that the Scottsdale Fashion Square? Man has that place taken a dive. The Nordstrom used to be pretty classy, but that looked like JCPenny. The merchandising is really odd - unimpressive toys and shirts (are they competing with 5Below?). I guess it's just a sign of the times. Retail death.

The image of the setting sun in that blue sky was gorgeous.

Here's a big difference: well-made clothes last a long, long time and still look respectable enough to wear to a proper office. The people I know who buy cheap clothes are always buying clothes. I don't buy new clothes every year. Literally: I can go more than a year without buying anything to wear. Also, I don't have very many articles of clothing. At the moment I have three pairs of jeans. The newest pair is several years old; I purchased the oldest pair in 2006; they were good enough quality that I held onto them while wide legs were out of style. On the other hand, my daughter's college roommate had 23 pairs of jeans...all cheap.

They’ve had hardly any stock for about the last 10 years. It’s hard to make money without product. They’re a lot different when you look at the product. Macys doesn’t carry very many brands and Penny’s is practically wear once and throw away. The rack just carries any brand. The stock doesn’t necessarily come from Nordstrom. It is like a TJ Maxx

i know people that have been nordstrom and nordstrom rack employees for 15-20+ years. they acknowledge its not the same as it once was. nordstrom used to be upscale and luxurious with amazing service, but now that's non existent, most of the sales associates just sit behind their registers and talk. but i do like that they carry a variety of brands from vans and levi's to more luxury stuff like burberry. the rack has gone down hill immensely, it used to get a lot of nice stuff from nordstrom and i also remember seeing a fixture full of designer hand bags ranging from gucci to burberry. unfortunately it looks like a ross and tj maxx now, and they even sell the same stuff as those stores causing it to lose it's identity.

Nordstrom used to have beautiful clothes with free tailoring. Times have changed and their quality is the same as Macys. Everything made in China which is cheap fabric and horrible construction. Luckily I saved a number of the beautiful classics.

That Rack was a mess. I used to shop at Nordstrom (flagship store) in the 80’s. I could afford to shop there even on my tiny salary. I haven’t shopped there in 20 years or more. The Rack is ok for shoes but I mostly shop online. I know what I like and I can find it and buy it in 5 minutes. The Rack is for those people who have time to waste and like hunting for a bargain.

Im gen z but I rem when I was a teenager this was the only department store I really actually enjoyed cus it was trendier than the others. In Miami, Nordstrom is pretty high scale and the cafe is really good. The Nordstrom in your video looks a bit downgraded and more like a Macys tbf. Nordstrom also used to have the cutest section for gifts during Christmas. They have always been more upscale than Macys and maybe just a level behind Bloomingdales in price/brands.

If you look at the caliber of clothing right now on the Nordstrom site you will see how far it's fallen. Tons of junk including way too much SKIMS. And lingerie that is pure trash and belongs on an adults-only site. Sad.

They we're way too expensive completely disconnected from the Canadian market. Nordstrom Rack had potential but they didn't seize it. They hid in only the biggest cities.

Not to brag but I have money to shop in Nordstrom……..however I wouldn’t because I think spending stupid amounts of money on clothes is dumb. $30 for a shirt is enough. There are better things to spend money on.

Yes those white shirts cost you $100. And those are white shirts of a higher quality than you have ever experienced firsthand.

You can't compare the two different flannel shirts, one from Nordstrom and one from the Rack because the quality, material, etc. is not the same.

Whenever I need a shopping fix, 😅 stop by here. My wallet is grateful for this channel.😂

My personal experiences, the rich, the well off the financially secure, have a different outlook on life they don’t care don’t notice or won’t buy into buying something a lower price, even though it is the exact same product. Somehow it distracts or the ducks from their personal self-esteem were worth, so they must spend moreto justify their richness. They’ll continue to shit. The stores and areas were the one percent has reduced the locals ability to retain any of their money to spend it on these kind of extras. Try to maintain their superior attitudes.

It's painfully obvious that you're not Nordstrom's target market. That said, that's the most depressing Nordstrom I've ever seen.

The thing I liked about Nordstrom was although they carried luxury items they also had more reasonably priced things as well.

/rant/ The most I've been in Nordstrom was when I deliberately walked through it carrying a large Sears bag. Yall want $400 for a pair of jeans and $100 for a single t-shirt? Try this objectively higher-quality Sears wardrobe update for less than a quarter of that. And the first price I looked at when getting a Rack gift card once was...a $200 pair of jeans. Greeeeaaaat. Nordstrom is for snobby, imbecilic one-percenter wannabes offended their housekeepers drive Toyotas instead of Lexuses. The smartest purchase there is the one you DON'T make.

These stores don’t look as good as the ones near me on the Westside of LA. It is possible that both the regular store and the rack may be “B” stores hence the resemblance to lesser brands. I’m not familiar with your location but that could be be one reason they look downmarket.

That mirror if original is what? 10k, 20k?? You don't find that pink mirror in a Macys...

Billionaire boys Club is owned by Singer Songwriter producer Pharrel Williams

I've only bought makeup at a regular Nordstrom, but I do love a good Nordstrom Rack. I've found the quality of the merchandise varies by location.

Another reason I feel like Nordstrom is suffering is their Customer Service. I purchased a watch through their online website. It was a metal band and my concern was with sizing (links) but the website clearly stated I could bring the watch into their store after receiving it for sizing. I did receive the watch and when I went into the store's watch/jewelry counter I was told by the associate working the counter she didn't know how to remove the links and that I should go to another jewelry store and have them do it. Jewelry stores typically charge for that service if you did not make the purchase with them. I was clearly upset and immediately returned the watch on the spot. At no point did the associate offer to have a manager or other associate assist in the sizing either. I later wrote a letter to the store manager vowing I would never step foot in the store again (which to this day I haven't). To their credit I did receive a reply from the store manager apologizing but at that point they had already lost this and any future sales from me.

The only Nordstrom I kept going back to was the men’s dedicated one in NYC. I believe billionaire boys club is one of Pharrell’s streetwear brands.

They price themselves delusionally like theyre a designer name, but they are stuck in time in 1998 thats the problem

I’ve never seen a Nordstrom in such a state. The locations near me are beautifully keep and exude luxury.

It's crazy to me how many malls and indoor walking shops close here despite how hot it gets in the summer.

Ever since they took away their customer service office and got rid of their warehouse…..it’s just not the same.

Nordstrom just sounds like a Medieval family guild with too much money lol.

Nordstrom didn't make it in Canada. Chinook Centre in Calgary was the first Canadian location but ultimately it's the fact not many people can afford to shop there. My income is too low and body size is too high to afford it.

I'm still upset they closed the Nordstrom in my city. I do The Rack for my shoes and some makeup now as they finally opened one up on my side of town.

I love Nordy …great customer service …and I was a manager for it as well …truly wonderful

We used to shop at the one in Horton Plaza in San Diego until the whole mall closed. They had a small restaurant, piano was always classic and they had a whole fancy vibe . The one in La Jolla is there and there was another at Mission or Fashion Valley . Nordstrom's was amazing. Nostalgia. Nordstrom Rack is a great place to find good savings .

Nordstrom Rack is just an overpriced Ross. Cluttered and not a great selection of clothes

Full lines are such an interesting juxtaposition to the current fashion landscape imo. I've worked at both full line stores in Utah, and was employed with the company for over a year. A lot of times, you see people shopping there simply because they carry designer brands and "athleisure" stuff such as Nike and Adidas, which is always in fairly high demand. On one hand, the reason it feels like a "juxtaposition" to the fashion landscape is, it's not cheap or "renewed" stuff; which is what drives a lot of the current fashion market. In an era where teens and young adults from various social or economic classes are either thrifting or buying crap off Temu, you wonder who the department store market caters to. On the other hand, the "luxe" market is still somewhat alive, yet Nordstrom full lines, in some contexts, don't feel like they live up to the "luxe" image they want for themselves. I've been into places like Saks and Bloomingdale's when I visited California, and those places felt leagues ahead of Nordstrom. Then again, each Nordstrom carries what's popular locally. My first full line only carried certain brands deemed popular, and my second store only carried certain other brands. I think the lack of consistency is off-putting to those in the know, and it also makes it hard to walk in and pick something up; when you could just buy online instead. (P.S. I'm still a fairly loyal Nordstrom customer, and I don't necessarily hate the company at face-value. I enjoyed my time spent employed there, and I've bought a lot of stuff from them over time due to the relationships I've built and the rapport I've enjoyed sharing with my former coworkers).

Great video, so sad to see where they have fallen. And I loved working for them

In the 80s 90s I spent quite alot of money in Nordstrom. But I haven’t been to one or any department store since about 2000 or so. Suddenly I just lost interest.

It won't be long before Nordstroms and other inkind stores are going to be part of a by-gone era! 🥴

A drop in sales coupled with a big increase in organized retail theft.

You are really funny. Keep the vids coming.💯

When I was working at Boeing back in the day I dated a girl who worked there. According to her they had one of the most generous customer service policies of all stores--no questions asked basically. Aside from buying a tie once I never shopped there myself, it was intimidating though the salesmen were polite and friendly. Fast forward 30 years, my stepdaughter went to work at Nordstrom in Austin and we went by for a sale when she was there. Totally different vibe. Now they have basically the same return policies as everyone else and the place was no different from a Macy's but with a few departments with more expensive clothes. The customers got trashier and less honest and the store had to adapt.

Nordstrom near me got rid of the piano player and started blasting annoying music through speakers. The loud music has made it unpleasant to shop there. I tried ordering online (which saved me from impulse buys) but the clothing arrived extremely wrinkled and didn’t fit. I gave up shopping there both in person and online. I will go to the rack if it’s quiet and I can browse.

$1800 for a jacket, I don't think you are the target demographic lol

Online shopping happened, inflation, many factors

I worked at Nordstrom in 2012. Things were sliding when decisions were made to cut luxuries like the live piano player, many live plants, whiskey bar and shoe shine stand. People just don’t live that way anymore. Back then there were 4 high end stores to every Rack.

My last trip to Nordstroms last year to get some slacks was disappointing, I was not real thrilled with the fit but I bought them anyway. However I rarely wear them and probably will donate to Salvation Army. Unlike in earlier years the quality is notably less. Then it seems mens pants are lower in the waist than in 1990s so the fit is not that great. Back in the days I shopped Nordstroms for suits and nice slacks as they cost more than Mens Wearhouse or Sears but quality is good. The sales staff in 1990s knew their stuff, one looked at me and able to see my suit size was 42 and my shirt size was 16, 32. Lately there was only one guy who had to manage entire mens dept. The slacks I bought in early 2000s still fit good though they are getting worn. I might take a look again this weekend but like many stores where they let the quality falter then if they go out of business then I'm not missing much. My last visit I looked at price tag for a tuxedo, $5000! Damn, my ballroom dance competition jacket and pants (American smooth, not standard, so it does not have tails) is about $2000 or $2500 these days. The fit is way better (custom tailored) and the material is very durable. Only disadvantage is the pants do not have pockets (bulges ruin the dance line).

extremely short video, you used to make them way longer in the past