Nordstrom coming to Canada (Vancouver, Calgary, Toronto, Ottawa)

[big T]

Originally Posted by LeftCoaster

I don't know what to think about Montreal. I know they have interest but have not found any locations either.

Les Ailes comes to mind as a potential takeover. It's in a prime location, and I can't imagine that place makes any kind of real money. It's always empty, and their selection largely sucks.

[vanman]

Better renders of the Nordstrom Vancouver:

Originally Posted by officedweller

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09...#slide=1534319


http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09...#slide=1534377


http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09...#slide=1534338


http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09...#slide=1534351


http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/09...#slide=1534347

And a flythrough:

• Video Link

[yaletown_fella]

Originally Posted by atlantaguy

^I love the way Westfield restored the old Emporium for Bloomingdales. They did a beautiful job.

+ 1. That is my favorite mall I've visited in my lifetime (never been to NYC or Chitown)

I also liked the Westfield SF.

[Black Box]

You definitely have valid points, but simply put, opening anything in Manhattan is by virtue, ambitious. Also considering that it is new to Manhattan, expecting it to be just like the grand department stores is unrealistic and somewhat unfair, considering that if any department store tried to build their new stores that way they did back then, would go bankrupt. Nordstrom will contribute to the diverse mix of retail options in Manhattan, whether it'll succeed is unknown, but at least they're trying. By the way, Nordstrom's flagship store is very urban. It doesn't have the flair of a modern Asian or European department store, but it's a terrific space.

Originally Posted by miketoronto

I don't know if it is ambitious. The store will have nothing on the design and selection of the grand department stores already in Manhattan.

The store may be 7 stories, but it will only be the size of a large suburban branch store. Not the size of the Saks or Bloomingdales in Manhattan.

The fact is North America has become mediocre. And it shows in the lack of style and wow factor our stores operate in today. But I guess that is what happens when you suburbanize everything.

[isaidso]

That Vancouver design is way too sterile. Holy boring. I'll give it a 5/10.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by Black Box

You definitely have valid points, but simply put, opening anything in Manhattan is by virtue, ambitious. Also considering that it is new to Manhattan, expecting it to be just like the grand department stores is unrealistic and somewhat unfair, considering that if any department store tried to build their new stores that way they did back then, would go bankrupt. Nordstrom will contribute to the diverse mix of retail options in Manhattan, whether it'll succeed is unknown, but at least they're trying. By the way, Nordstrom's flagship store is very urban. It doesn't have the flair of a modern Asian or European department store, but it's a terrific space.

I disagree. High end department stores in Asia and Europe have no problem designing amazing modern stores that are huge.

Look at that Vancouver rendering. The store has no amazing design in it at all.
Contrast that to new department store buildings like Selfridges in Manchester, or Galleries Laffayette in Berlin. These stores had no problem pushing the design barrier.
But this is the problem in North America. Most of our stores have lost their style. For such a high end store, Nordstroms should be making front page news in architectural magazines, etc. But they are not.

[Black Box]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

I disagree. High end department stores in Asia and Europe have no problem designing amazing modern stores that are huge.

Look at that Vancouver rendering. The store has no amazing design in it at all.
Contrast that to new department store buildings like Selfridges in Manchester, or Galleries Laffayette in Berlin. These stores had no problem pushing the design barrier.
But this is the problem in North America. Most of our stores have lost their style. For such a high end store, Nordstroms should be making front page news in architectural magazines, etc. But they are not.

When you include the word, modern, that we can agree on. We can also agree that the design of the Vancouver store is bland, which my opinion of, was never disclosed prior to this comment. Sadly, the best (recent) design for an urban Nordstrom store is in downtown Salt Lake City. Pretty dismal, IMO.

[rs913]

Even the much-celebrated Bloomingdale's expansion to the SF Center (which opened in 2006) could be accused of architectural blandness, at least on the Mission St. side.



It's important to remember that these retailers' primary goals are not to "make front page news in architectural magazines" (or meet the lofty standards of people on message boards) - it's to operate stores profitably. As well as to enhance their brands, but there are several routes to doing that.

Also, bigger is not necessarily better. I had no idea the Brooklyn Macy's was so big, and that's impressive that it is that big. But it's a dump.

[isaidso]

The department store section of the Holt Renfrew Centre in Toronto looks quite boring too. Why can't we get this right?

[miketoronto]

The mediocrity of North American department store (most retail companies actually) building design goes well beyond architecture and into the vary nature of the stores.

My sister just got back from London, England and she was blown away by the shops. Not only are they huge and have amazing designs. But they stock selection that if you are lucky, only a couple stores in Manhattan can probably match in North America.
The stores put emphasis on being cutting edge, etc.
A big difference however is that most do not try to operate 200 branch locations like Nordstroms and other North American stores do.
They operate one or maybe a handful if that of stores, and they put a lot of attention into these places.
The result is that they truly are exclusive and outstanding places to go to.
They are everything Northstroms and other high end stores in America wish they were, but never will be, due to their mediocre suburban mentality.

You don't even need to go to Europe. Check out Australia.

Myer Melbourne (brand new renovation). Nordstroms and many other high end American department stores wish their stores looked this cutting edge.

http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5250/...ff905ddf12.jpg

[seaskyfan]

^ You seem to think that Nordstrom should be cutting edge for the sake of being so when that really doesn't have anything to do with their retailing philosophy. They're known for the kind of clothing they sell and their service. Their stores tend to be pleasant but not particularly exciting architecturally.

[miketoronto]

Originally Posted by seaskyfan

^ You seem to think that Nordstrom should be cutting edge for the sake of being so when that really doesn't have anything to do with their retailing philosophy. They're known for the kind of clothing they sell and their service. Their stores tend to be pleasant but not particularly exciting architecturally.

Yeah and what I am saying is that they are watering down their brand.
You are not exclusive when you operate millions of stores in one city, have stores which really have no design style to them, etc.

Nordstroms is just as high end as they are trying to make themselves sound. They may have been at one time. But if you are doing to do drab store designs like that, and have a branch everywhere, then you are not exclusive.

North American brands just waterdown themselves way too much.

[atlantaguy]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

Yeah and what I am saying is that they are watering down their brand.
You are not exclusive when you operate millions of stores in one city, have stores which really have no design style to them, etc.

Nordstroms is just as high end as they are trying to make themselves sound. They may have been at one time. But if you are doing to do drab store designs like that, and have a branch everywhere, then you are not exclusive.

North American brands just waterdown themselves way too much.

I think you are being a little shortsighted and overly simplistic here, Mike.

First of all, Nordstrom is NOT watering down their brand just because their store designs aren't cutting-edge enough for you. Part of their "brand" is to provide exemplary customer service, which they excel at. As I mentioned earlier in this thread, your Holt Renfrew pales in comparison.

Another thing you need to remember is that the U.S. is a huge country with over 317 million people - hence the multiple locations. They don't just serve the West anymore, they are Nationwide now. Are you suggesting that they only have a small handful of flagship locations, and the rest of the country be damned? That simply isn't the way it works anymore...

[rs913]

We also have quite a few retailers that do at least some of these things: limited # of stores, distinctively designed stores, and/or an air of exclusivity.

Bloomingdale's
Saks
Barney's
Fashion houses (Armani, etc.)
Regional retailers (i.e. Gump's and David M. Brian in SF, Fortunoff in NY)

Maybe Nordstrom just figured they couldn't compete in that lane, and decided to go with the more "mainstream-upscale" approach they did.

I just don't get the "North American retailers are complete and utter failures and should just kill themselves" rant in this thread. Although a more nuanced view like "North American retailers have some room for improvement in terms of their approach to brand-building" might be easier to defend.

[J. Will]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...ticle10841570/

Nordstrom adds Yorkdale outlet to Canadian expansion plans

In another sign of a heated Canadian retail scene, U.S. upscale department-store chain Nordstrom Inc. will open a fifth store here – at the high-profile Yorkdale Shopping Centre – in the fall of 2016.

Nordstrom of Seattle said on Monday morning it has reached a deal with landlord Oxford Properties Group to launch a store at Yorkdale, following months of negotiations and various landlords trying to lure the U.S. retailer to their properties.

Yorkdale is one of Canada’s top performing malls, generating sales per square foot of more than $1,100.

Yorkdale said it will pour $331-million into adding almost 300,000 square feet to its mall. The expansion follows a $220-million and 145,000 square foot development that opened last November 2012, while six more new-to-Canada banners are arriving in 2013 including AllSaints, David Yurman, John Varvtos, Mulberry, White House Black Market and Zara Home.

http://business.financialpost.com/20...rry-zara-home/

Yorkdale’s $331M expansion includes Nordstrom, wave of new brands like Mulberry, Zara Home

The shopping centre announced a new $331-million expansion on Monday that will break ground next year and bring in a new Nordstrom location as its anchor tenant opening in 2016.

Yorkdale, which has estimated average sales per square foot in excess of $1,800 among non-anchor tenants, is a sought-after debut mall for international brands: Last November, the first Canadian stores of Kate spade New York, Ann Taylor Loft, Microsoft, Ted Baker London and Tesla Motors opened as part of a $220-million, 145,000 square-foot expansion. The mall also has marked the first locations of other high-profile U.S. brands, including J Crew and Crate and Barrel.

A 2012 Colliers International report noted sales per square foot at shopping malls in Canada were almost 50% higher than they were in the United States in 2011, and said Canada’s malls had been more productive than their U.S. counterparts since 2004. Average mall performance in the U.S. was slightly more than US$400 per square foot in 2011 while Canadian malls yielded an average of nearly US$600.

[brickell]

[LeftCoaster]

1 department store opening does not necessitate its own thread.

I'm merging this with the original thread.

[mthd]

Originally Posted by J. Will

...It's interesting that the Toronto store will be a new build. How many new traditional dept. stores are built in this day and age? Virtually zero.

i'm not sure that's at all true. there are relatively recently constructed malls and lifestyle centers all around the world anchored by ground-up department stores. new "urban" department stores are built too, even here in north america. for example the newish bloomingdales in san francisco, the largest outside of new york, constructed from the ground up in 2005/2006.

[mthd]

Originally Posted by miketoronto

...
Myer Melbourne (brand new renovation). Nordstroms and many other high end American department stores wish their stores looked this cutting edge.

no they don't. they don't want to have to remove all that trendy angled gyp board in 10 years. nordstrom, bloomingdales, saks, neiman marcus have always balanced trend with the classics. and yes, there are department stores/malls in north america with big atriums. they just tend to be simpler and easier to brand or theme over the seasons.

[Proof Sheet]

Originally Posted by J. Will

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/repor...ticle10841570/

Nordstrom adds Yorkdale outlet to Canadian expansion plans







http://business.financialpost.com/20...rry-zara-home/

Yorkdale’s $331M expansion includes Nordstrom, wave of new brands like Mulberry, Zara Home

Hopefully these new stores will have cutting edge design that does not water down the brand.