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by The Backseat Stylers | September 13th, 2012 
After months of speculation and prayers to the shopping gods, Nordstrom has (finally!) officially announced the opening of the company’s first four locations in Canada. The Seattle-based retailer held a press conference in Toronto today to outline its plans to partner with Cadillac Fairview on its first stores north of the border at Sherway Gardens in Toronto, Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Chinook Centre in Calgary, and Rideau Centre in Ottawa.
The Sherway Gardens location will be a newly-constructed store, while the others are former Sears sites that will be vacated this fall and renovated by Nordstrom. The new locations are tentatively scheduled to open as follows:
- Chinook Centre, Calgary: two levels, approximately 140,000 square feet in Fall of 2014
- Rideau Centre, Ottawa: two levels, approximately 157,000 square feet in Spring of 2015
- Pacific Centre, Vancouver: three levels, approximately 230,000 square feet in Spring of 2015
- Sherway Gardens, Toronto: two levels, approximately 138,000 square feet in Fall of 2016
Not soon enough by my measure, but we’ve waited this long already, so what’s another few years? For our patience, we may just be rewarded with a few more stores: Nordstrom also announced that it will continue working on further expansion opportunities for both Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack (yes!) in Canada in the future.
Excited? You have good reason to be. Nordstrom was recently named the top American luxury retailer in a consumer survey, no doubt as a result of its legendary customer service. Between accepting a customer’s return of car tires that Nordstrom obviously doesn’t sell and driving to the airport to deliver packages accidentally left behind by a visiting shopper, popular tales of the department store chain’s exemplary customer service are both unbelievable and entirely true. In addition to its famously accommodating return policy, Nordstrom also price matches its competitors and throws very generous sales.
“It’s exciting to finally have this opportunity to better serve our Canadian customers closer to home and we can’t wait to open our doors,” said Erik Nordstrom, president of stores for Nordstrom, Inc. in a press release. We can’t wait until you open your doors either, Nordstrom. And now with target dates officially announced, we can mark our calendars and start counting down the days!
xx, S
Image via Retail Week
by The Backseat Stylers | July 19th, 2012
How’s that for foreshadowing? Just yesterday in our post about Jason Wu’s new contemporary line, Miss Wu, we lamented the lack of Nordstrom locations north of the border. Mere hours later, The Globe and Mail reported that Nordstrom is finalizing plans to open its first department stores in Canada in the next few years – not one, not two or even three, but four of them! This, my dear fellow Nordstrom fans, is a shopaholic’s dream come true.
According to “industry sources”, Nordstrom will be launching at Sherway Gardens in Toronto, Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Chinook Centre in Calgary and Rideau Centre in Ottawa, three of which are former Sears sites. The Seattle-based retailer is said to be awaiting approval of the expansion from its board of directors. The news has yet to be confirmed by either Nordstrom or Cadillac Fairview, but I’m already celebrating.
Rumour has it that Nordstrom is, not surprisingly, also keen to set up shop in both Toronto Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Shopping Centre in Toronto. However, with Sears uninterested in letting go of its TEC store and Yorkdale’s owners Oxford Properties reportedly insisting on a package deal with a Square One Shopping Centre location, this may not happen in the near term.
Nevertheless, the department store that recently topped a consumer survey of American luxury retailers – beating out Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue and even Bergdorf Goodman, I might add – is coming to a Canadian city (hopefully) near you.
With it, Nordstrom brings a stellar designer list that at its U.S. locations includes everything from Gucci to Alexander Wang to Kensie; their incredibly generous Half-Yearly Sales and legendary Anniversary Sale featuring products exclusive to Nordstrom; a price matching policy I’ve had the pleasure of taking advantage of in the past (on a pair of Christian Louboutins, no less); and an unparalleled return policy with no time limit (seriously!). Essentially, Nordstrom is customer service at its finest, which will be a breath of fresh air in Canada’s luxury market. The Bay and Holt Renfrew, who will be directly affected by Nordstrom’s arrival, should take note.
I’ve been patiently waiting for years for a U.S. luxury department store chain to come north of the border, but suddenly Nordstrom can’t come soon enough. How excited are you, Canada? Because yours truly is on a high right now that’s usually only reserved for new shoe acquisitions.
UPDATE (Sept. 13, 2012):
The news has finally been confirmed! Read all the details of the new Nordstrom store openings in Canada here.
xx, S
Image via Retail Week
by The Backseat Stylers | July 18th, 2012 
If you’ve been admiring Jason Wu’s wares from afar but haven’t been able to shell out the 4-digit prices for his main line, this announcement is going to make your day: the designer is launching a contemporary line, Miss Wu, in January 2013. The first offering, a 40-piece collection of Sixties-inspired dresses, separates and outerwear, will be available exclusively at Nordstrom. Getting excited? So am I.
A concept conceived by the designer and Jeffrey Kalinsky, EVP of Designer Merchandising at Nordstrom, Miss Wu will offer softer, feminine clothes to the contemporary market. The first collection will retail from $195 for a silk blouse to $795 for a leather jacket, much more accessible price points than his eponymous label.
“Instead of just doing ‘Jason Wu-for-less,’ the idea is to explore the other side of myself,” Wu told WWD. “I always see Jason Wu as my aesthetic, my design sensibility. Miss Wu is my personality. It was really fun to explore that facet of who I am — slightly more downtown, and with a more relaxed attitude.” Kalinsky added, “What’s great is that while feeling different from the Jason Wu signature collection, it still clearly has Jason’s design DNA.”
Miss Wu will be available at Nordstrom’s Via C departments and at nordstrom.com for one year, after which it will expand to other retailers in the U.S. and around the world, it is hoped. By then, he also plans to have added accessories to the line-up.
While there are currently no Nordstrom locations north of the border (I’ve been praying to the shopping gods for one!), nordstrom.com does ship internationally, so us Canadian shoppers will be able to get our hands on some Miss Wu too come January. In the meantime, I’ll be counting down the days.
xx, S
Images via WWD
by The Backseat Stylers | May 25th, 2010 
I don’t usually find myself drawn to platforms or chunky heels, but these satin platform sandals by Burberry are luscious. Sadly, my size is all sold out at Nordstrom, though I must admit that I feel a tad relieved. Designer sale season has officially begun and my limited funds must be allocated judiciously. Another pair of dress sandals is not a wise use of my sale budget. So I will covet from afar instead… xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | November 24th, 2009 
I hate how this 3.1 Phillip Lim cardigan is styled on Nordstrom.com, but I suppose I must forgive them since they’ve marked it down 40% off (originally $595, now $354). I so want to buy it and wear it the way Miroslava Duma wore it during New York Fashion Week, but there are other wants that are higher priority right now (read: Chloé lace-up wedge boots), so I will resist temptation.
TPF
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | September 22nd, 2009 Over the past year, fashion magazines have been filled with articles on how the recession fashionista should shop, and the recurring theme has been that purchasing classic, timeless pieces is the way to go. It seems also that when lists of must-haves for every woman’s wardrobe are made, there are always a few notables that make the cut over and over no matter who’s making the list – including the LBD, the Chanel 2.55 and, of course, the Burberry trench. What may be left off the list but is rather essential for those of us in cooler climates is a version of the classic Burberry trench that will get us through harsh winter weather. To meet that need, but on a somewhat reasonable budget, Nordstrom has generously marked down this Burberry double-breasted wool and cashmere blend trench coat for those cold, snowy days. Order yours now at Nordstrom.com at 50% off the original retail of $995. The discounted price tag of $495 may still seem a bit stiff, but this is how I see the math: 1 Burberry coat = many cheaper coats of lesser quality and versatility.
Alas, I myself already own too many winter coats to justify even the most timeless, classic piece, so I will have to pass. But those patent leather ankle booties on the model in the second photo? There’s definitely room for those in my closet!
xx, S
by The Backseat Stylers | May 23rd, 2009 …made my heart pitter patter. It’s the perfect shade of pink (soft, not too bright) and such a flattering fit (or so I imagine since I couldn’t actually try it on in my current state, much to the chagrin of the sales associate). And did I mention I snagged it at 70% off at The Bay? I have been trolling the clearance racks of the St. Regis Room at The Bay on Queen Street since my Tracy Reese find last week like it’s my job, and this afternoon I hit paydirt with a stunning Lida Baday corset dress from her Spring 2009 collection. I’m too lazy and technologically-challenged to take a photo of the dress, so all I have to share is a picture of the twill version of the dress currently selling at 40% off at Nordstrom during their Half-Yearly Sale.
Can’t wait to wear this dress next summer. And the Tracy Reese dress as well. Oh, and the many other items of clothing I’ve purchased for post-pregnancy. Ahhh, I must stop now. Sale season is so much fun…until the credit card bill arrives…*sigh*.
xx, S
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THE BACKSEAT STYLERS BY T & S
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