In yet another sign of the rapidly shrinking landscape for traditional retailers and shopping malls, Nordstrom announced plans to close its Northgate location in Seattle, one of the oldest in the family-run company, in August.
The Northgate store’s approximately 170 employees were given the news Friday morning, according to a Nordstrom statement. The Seattle-based retailer is “confident we’ll be able to offer new roles to each employee,” said spokesperson Emily Sterken in an email. The Nordstrom Rack at Northgate will remain open.
“Looking at our business needs in the Seattle market and the future plans for Northgate Mall as it prepares for a significant transformation, we’ve made the decision to close our Northgate Mall store,” the company statement said of the closure, which is set for Aug. 9.
The closure comes amid a major redevelopment of Northgate Mall, but also deep challenges for Nordstrom.
The upscale retailer has been shuttering under-performing stores at the rate of two a year as it struggles against stiff competition from online retailers and discount brick-and-mortar stores. In May, Nordstrom reported a sharp drop in first-quarter profits and faltering sales due in part to what co-president Erik Nordstrom described as “executional misses with the customer experience.”
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/retail/nordstrom-to-shutter-its-storied-northgate-store-in-august/
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