Hello Darlings, Three weeks ago one of my favorite stores Nordstrom added more good cheer to the Canadian fashion scene, announcing they are opening stores in Toronto, Vancouver, Calgary, and Ottawa.
Thanks to my friends at the PR agency Maverick, I had the wonderful opportunity to not only attend the press launch at the Ritz Carlton hotel in downtown Toronto, I also enjoyed meeting and speaking with Blake Nordstrom who is the President of Nordstrom. As you likely guessed, Blake Nordstrom is the fourth generation of his family to lead the company, which began as a shoe store in Seattle in 1901.
I have been a customer of Nordstrom for several years — mostly shopping online at Nordstrom.com — but also shopping at their Las Vegas, New York and Miami locations. My favorite thing about Nordstrom is their huge selection of contemporary designers. Think Holt Renfrew, but with more and better selection of contemporary and up-and-coming designers!
The only downside is that it will be a little while before their stores open On a bright side, the Toronto store will be at my favorite mall Sherway Gardens, set to open in Fall 2016. The fashion darlings of Calgary get the honors to welcome the first Canadian store at the Chinook Centre in Fall 2014, followed soon after with a Spring 2015 opening in Vancouver at the Pacific Centre, and Rideau Centre in Ottawa.
I AM WEARING: Juicy Couture Scalloped Jacket // 7 For All Mankind Roxanne Jeans // Kate Spade Villabella Avenue Purse // J.Crew Mona Pump
At the press launch, I also had the pleasure of speaking with Karen McKibbon, President of Nordstrom Canada. We spoke that she is planning to hire up to 1,000 new people – so PLEASE email me if you would like a referral to Karen and her team about job openings at Nordstrom Canada. Will definitely be interesting to see how Holt Renfrew responds to this new competition on their home turf, and The Bay for that matter. Who’s excited?
With Love…
Marta
Nordstrom is one of the shops I always visit when I go over to the states and I’m very excited to hear that they are opening stores in Canada! Thanks for the heads up
Thanks Katie – it’s just a shame it’s taking so long for their stores to open!
OMG! Today I was discussing with my friend how great it would be to have something like Nordstrom in Canada! Jee, thoughts are material…
Thanks Lana – it should make a big difference with our shopping choices, since the competition is going to have to offer more good options at better prices since Nordstrom is great if you’ve never shopped there before!
I looooove nordies and always visit it when I’m in the states and browse their website often thinking how unfair it is that the states have all these great department stores….thanks for letting us know….too bad its 4 years away for us here in toronto but at least it’s comming….I predict that nordstrom is gonna make a big impact in the bay and holt renfrew’s business because I honestly prefer nordstrom to both as I feel it has a better more general selection…I think of holt renfrew as more like saks fifth avenue but prefer saks to holt and the bay as kind of a macys but I prefer macys to the bay and nordstrom is kind of in between…..
Thanks Cheryl, and I agree that both Holts and Bay are going to have to change a lot with Nordstrom coming! And although Nordstrom won’t open in Toronto for a few years, probably Holts and Bay are going to change their ways a lot in the meantime – so we should probably start seeing the Nordstrom impact sooner rather than later!
I am so excited for Nordstrom to come to Canada, and to my own fashion-challenged city (seriously, we still don’t have an H&M in Canada). I can’t wait to live in their shoe department.
Kate xo petite-adventures.blogspot.ca
Thanks Kate – it’s great for Ottawa to have a Nordstrom’s coming. Amazing actually they chose Ottawa over Montreal
Love your blog!
That’s great news, thanks for the info. I know I can get Tory Burch stuff at Holt Renfrew but it’s not convenient for me to get to downtown Calgary. Chinook is a better option and of course I know Nordstroms have the Tory Burch line. YAY!
Thanks Brian – it should make our options for everything designer way better having Nordstrom’s. And I think Holt’s and Bay will probably change what they offer sooner rather than later, so things should change quite a bit well before Nordstrom even opens!
How was your summer??
Hi Marta, I agree, these other store are going to have to step it up a bit. This should be great for us consumers.
I had a wonderful summer but it definitely feels like fall out West. Of course fall leads to winter and that means a new shopping season down South in Az. If you can believe it I haven’t bought any new Tory Burch or designer stuff for 6 months. I do have my eye on a couple of pair of Tory flats
How was your summer?
Thanks for the great blog.
Brian