Although the brand had several stores in the New York area, this was the first in the central part of the city. The company then followed up with a first phase, developing retail space on the corner between Broadway and 57th Street. Furthermore, there were plans to open a main flagship store just over the street in the fall of 2019.
Nordstrom hadn't planned to run separate stores for men and women in Manhattan. However, when a suitable space became available just a stone's throw from the flagship store it was opening, they seized the opportunity to launch a stand-alone men's store. This follows the example of several other high-end department stores in New York.
This first-ever men's offering for Nordstrom will feature a range of high-end, designer apparel, as well as more affordable mainstream brands such as Levi's and Nike. In fact, Nordstrom is closely collaborating with Nike in this project and will have a section dedicated to the brand.
In parallel with the impressive range of footwear and apparel for men, Nordstrom is offering a range of services to set itself apart from the competition. With familiar features such as a cafe and a bar, the Manhattan store will also offer a free basic alterations service for clothing. There will also be a complimentary style consultation to help shoppers decide what to buy. In addition, items can be personalized on-site, e.g. with embroidery, offered with delivery on the same day of purchase or round-the-clock collection for online orders.
To improve efficiency, several returns kiosks will be located near the entrances for speedy refunds and exchanges. This is part of a quest to offer 24/7 express services and part of the company's objective cater for 'fashion emergencies' such as last-minute, urgent purchases.
In offering these services in Manhattan, the company is aiming to create something that can't be achieved when shopping on its website. This goes to show that Nordstrom realizes the need to keep up with the times and consumer demands in a world where it's easy to avoid hitting the shops by buying online.
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