t h e c h a l l e n g e r
Nordstrom
N
ordstrom is new to
Vancouver but not to
Vancouverites. "Here
in Seattle we've been
serving Vancouver customers for a
long time," says Jamie Nordstrom,
the company's president of full-line
stores, Nordstrom. "We're really
looking forward to serving customers
in their hometown."
The timing of the company's
arrival in Canada (starting last year)
is partly because it was able to snag
several prime locations, especially
in Vancouver. "It is a great location,"
says the 42-year-old great-grandson of
company founder John W. Nordstrom.
"We're humbled by having this location
that is truly kind of the centre of the
universe in Vancouver, and we think
that we have a responsibility to make
it a great store. And not just one of
Vancouver's great stores—one of
Canada's great stores."
The company believes Nordstrom
Pacific Centre could be the company's
top-volume store in a couple of years.
"It's going to be our full flagship
experience," says Jamie Nordstrom.
"Whether it's food and drink experi-
ences or unique merchandise that
you're not going to find anywhere
else in the city in addition to great
service, we want this to be a store
that people say, 'Hey, if you're going
to go to Vancouver, you've got to go
check out Nordstrom.' We want to be
that kind of store."
While Nordstrom is famous for its
singular focus on customers, there
aren't a lot of rules regarding what
How two iconic
Canadian brands are
gearing up (or not) for
the arrival of customer
service king Nordstrom
in downtown Vancouver
b y f e l i c i t y s t o n e
With the opening of Seattle-based
Nordstrom's third Canadian store (and
first in Vancouver) on September 18,
there will be three major department
stores clustered around the intersection
of Granville and Georgia—each com-
peting for the same high-end shopper.
In a market that's clearly heating up,
luxury icon Holt Renfrew is expanding
its footprint by 30 per cent and adding
new merchandise and amenities, from
a private apartment to a 3,500-square-
foot café overlooking Howe Street. At
Hudson's Bay, however—which has
undergone a nationwide facelift and
upgrade in recent years—the response
appears somewhat more muted.
2015 BcB
consumer
report
the
retail
showdown
56 BCBusiness september 2015
