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Nordstrom fell to upscale and outlet competition
Helen McCourt, a loyal Nordstrom shopper for years, likes the attentive staff, high end merchandise and expert alterations.
"It's a great store," said McCourt, 40, of Orlando as she left the Florida Mall store Tuesday. "They have the best customer service of any store, hands down."
Retail analysts blamed the department store's failure on competition from the more upscale Mall at Millenia and less expensive outlet malls, a dearth of affluent local shoppers and greater demand for casual wear than formal clothing.
"If you're in flip flops and you've been at the beach all day,cartier love bracelet 4 diamonds, you may not decide to go to Nordstrom," said Steve Kirn, executive director of the David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research at the University of Florida. "You may decide to go to the outlet malls."
The Mall at Millenia and Nordstrom at Florida Mall both welcomed their first shoppers in October 2002. Both attracted big crowds at first but quickly went in opposite directions.
Millenia, home to the region's only Bloomingdale's and first line Neiman Marcus stores, became the favored destination for many well heeled tourists, said Ray Hayhurst, senior director of capital markets for Cushman Wakefield, a commercial real estate firm.
Close to Interstate 4 and the outlet stores on International Drive, the location is a big draw. Wealthy international tourists from Europe, Brazil, China and Russia remain eager to shop at luxury retailers at the mall, such as Tiffany Co. and Cartier jewelers, and Henri Bendel and Michael Kors clothiers, analysts said.
Florida Mall in 2002 opened a new wing anchored by the 174,000 square foot Nordstrom and what was then Burdines (now Macy's) in an effort to compete with the Mall at Millenia. Nordstrom joined the mall's upmarket Lord Taylor, then a month old, and Saks Fifth Avenue,cartier diamond bangle, which opened in 1996.
But Nordstrom never got traction in the Central Florida market. Projections called for the store to do two to three times the business that it did from the start, spokeswoman Brooke White said. Executives decided to pull the plug when the lease expires rather than renovate and update the store.
"We're not sure why we're not doing the business we thought we could do, and we own responsibility for that," White said.
The other two luxury retailers at Florida Mall also did not survive.
Lord Taylor shut its doors in 2003, less than a year after it opened. Its then owner closed nearly three dozen stores nationwide to focus its business on the Northeast and Midwest.
Saks closed this past March. It was one of many Saks stores shuttered nationwide shortly after the company was bought by Hudson's Bay Co.
Nordstrom's exit is "a loss for Orlando," Hayhurst said. "It's a great store. It's known nationally as one of the best department stores in the country."
Customer Susan Beal of Winter Park agreed. She said Nordstrom's policies and service kept her coming back.
"I like knowing that if something happens, they'll take care of me," she said.
Real estate consultant David Marks, president of Marketplace Advisors in Winter Park,love bracelet cartier, said part of the problem is that Central Florida has a glut of places to buy clothing,love cartier bangle, and "there's no shortage of online shopping, either."
Orlando's tourist dependent economy also is a factor, he said. Low wage service workers can't afford to shop at Nordstrom and don't need high fashion clothes.
"It's a middle income market," Marks said. "It's a casual summer clothing market."
Traffic was light at Nordstrom on Tuesday afternoon, although several groups of people were eating at the in store Cafe Bistro, which featured a special of watermelon and arugula salad with champagne vinaigrette.
Some shoppers were browsing the displays hoping for bargains, others in anticipation of the store's anniversary sale, which starts Friday.
No fire sale is planned. Leftover merchandise will be shipped to other Nordstroms, White said. The store's 190 employees will be laid off or transferred.
After the Florida Mall store closes, the nearest Nordstrom will be in Tampa. The company also is building a store in Jacksonville scheduled to open Oct. 10.
Nordstrom Rack, which sells clearance and end of season merchandise, will remain open near the Mall at Millenia.
Helen McCourt, a loyal Nordstrom shopper for years, likes the attentive staff, high end merchandise and expert alterations.
"It's a great store," said McCourt, 40, of Orlando as she left the Florida Mall store Tuesday. "They have the best customer service of any store, hands down."
Retail analysts blamed the department store's failure on competition from the more upscale Mall at Millenia and less expensive outlet malls, a dearth of affluent local shoppers and greater demand for casual wear than formal clothing.
"If you're in flip flops and you've been at the beach all day,cartier love bracelet 4 diamonds, you may not decide to go to Nordstrom," said Steve Kirn, executive director of the David F. Miller Center for Retailing Education and Research at the University of Florida. "You may decide to go to the outlet malls."
The Mall at Millenia and Nordstrom at Florida Mall both welcomed their first shoppers in October 2002. Both attracted big crowds at first but quickly went in opposite directions.
Millenia, home to the region's only Bloomingdale's and first line Neiman Marcus stores, became the favored destination for many well heeled tourists, said Ray Hayhurst, senior director of capital markets for Cushman Wakefield, a commercial real estate firm.
Close to Interstate 4 and the outlet stores on International Drive, the location is a big draw. Wealthy international tourists from Europe, Brazil, China and Russia remain eager to shop at luxury retailers at the mall, such as Tiffany Co. and Cartier jewelers, and Henri Bendel and Michael Kors clothiers, analysts said.
Florida Mall in 2002 opened a new wing anchored by the 174,000 square foot Nordstrom and what was then Burdines (now Macy's) in an effort to compete with the Mall at Millenia. Nordstrom joined the mall's upmarket Lord Taylor, then a month old, and Saks Fifth Avenue,cartier diamond bangle, which opened in 1996.
But Nordstrom never got traction in the Central Florida market. Projections called for the store to do two to three times the business that it did from the start, spokeswoman Brooke White said. Executives decided to pull the plug when the lease expires rather than renovate and update the store.
"We're not sure why we're not doing the business we thought we could do, and we own responsibility for that," White said.
The other two luxury retailers at Florida Mall also did not survive.
Lord Taylor shut its doors in 2003, less than a year after it opened. Its then owner closed nearly three dozen stores nationwide to focus its business on the Northeast and Midwest.
Saks closed this past March. It was one of many Saks stores shuttered nationwide shortly after the company was bought by Hudson's Bay Co.
Nordstrom's exit is "a loss for Orlando," Hayhurst said. "It's a great store. It's known nationally as one of the best department stores in the country."
Customer Susan Beal of Winter Park agreed. She said Nordstrom's policies and service kept her coming back.
"I like knowing that if something happens, they'll take care of me," she said.
Real estate consultant David Marks, president of Marketplace Advisors in Winter Park,love bracelet cartier, said part of the problem is that Central Florida has a glut of places to buy clothing,love cartier bangle, and "there's no shortage of online shopping, either."
Orlando's tourist dependent economy also is a factor, he said. Low wage service workers can't afford to shop at Nordstrom and don't need high fashion clothes.
"It's a middle income market," Marks said. "It's a casual summer clothing market."
Traffic was light at Nordstrom on Tuesday afternoon, although several groups of people were eating at the in store Cafe Bistro, which featured a special of watermelon and arugula salad with champagne vinaigrette.
Some shoppers were browsing the displays hoping for bargains, others in anticipation of the store's anniversary sale, which starts Friday.
No fire sale is planned. Leftover merchandise will be shipped to other Nordstroms, White said. The store's 190 employees will be laid off or transferred.
After the Florida Mall store closes, the nearest Nordstrom will be in Tampa. The company also is building a store in Jacksonville scheduled to open Oct. 10.
Nordstrom Rack, which sells clearance and end of season merchandise, will remain open near the Mall at Millenia.
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