Iconic U.S. retailer Nordstrom will open a flagship 230,000-square-foot store in downtown Vancouver's Pacific Centre Mall in the spring of 2015 as part of its plan to enter the Canadian Market, the company and its new landlord, Cadillac Fairview announced Thursday.
The Vancouver location will be the biggest of four stores it will open starting in 2014 as an entry into the Canadian market. Other locations will be in Toronto, Ottawa, and Calgary.
The announcement today in Toronto sees Nordstrom join a fast-growing field of foreign chains vying for coveted Canadian consumer dollars.
Officials from the Seattle-based department store chain and Cadillac Fairview say Nordstrom will be moving into space vacated by Sears and then renovated at Pacific Centre in Vancouver, Calgarys Chinook Centre, and Rideau Centre in Ottawa.
A new store will be built at Torontos Sherway Gardens. The tentative timeline for the stores opening is; fall of 2014 in Calgary; spring 2015 in Ottawa and Vancouver; and fall 2016 in Toronto.
Vancouver will get the largest Nordstrom store, with three levels and some 230,000 square feet planned.
The Ottawa store will be two levels and approximately 157,000 square feet, the Calgary store two levels with approximately 140,000 square feet, and the Toronto store will have two levels with some 138,000 square feet.
Its exciting to finally have this opportunity to better serve our Canadian customers closer to home and we cant wait to open our doors, said Erik Nordstrom, president of stores for Nordstrom Inc.
While were fortunate to have many loyal Canadian customers whove shopped with us over the years, we recognize were new here and that we have to earn our customers business.
John Sullivan, Cadillac Fairview president and CEO, called Nordstrom an excellent fit for all four locations.
Not only will they transform our shopping centres, but enhance the Canadian retail landscape as a whole.
Nordstrom says it will continue to explore opportunities to open more stores in Canada as well as Nordstrom Racks, its off-price retail division.
The upscale fashion retailers foray into Canada marks its first expansion into the international market.
Canadians can currently purchase items directly from Nordstroms website, with shipping fees that includes the cost of duties at checkout.
In March, Sears Canada announced it would sell back leases for three of its stores to Cadillac Fairview, its landlord, for about $170 million.
The official announcement of Nordstroms arrival in Canada follows a consistently steady stream of U.S. and international chains that have been flocking to the country in recent years.
British fashion brand Ted Baker London and U.S.-based Kate Spade New York will make their entry into the Canadian marketplace this fall with stand alone stores at Torontos Yorkdale Shopping Centre.
Womenswear brands Ann Taylor and Loft, which are both under the umbrella of New York-based parent company, Ann Inc., will also be launching at Yorkdale, marking their first forays into Canada. Ann Taylor is also set to open a location at Eaton Centre in Toronto.
Anthropologie, Express, Free People, Intermix, J. Crew, Marshalls, Topshop, Topman and Tory Burch are among a host of other high-profile U.S. and international brands that have established storefronts in Canada.
U.S. discount giant Target Corp. is slated to set up shop north of the border in 2013. Starting next year, the Minneapolis-based retailer plans to open 125 to 135 stores in Canada.
Originally founded as a shoe store in 1901, Nordstrom operates 231 stores in the United States.
In addition to full-line stores, Nordstrom also operates Nordstrom Rack, an off-price division offering shoes, clothing and accessories of brands sold in Nordstrom stores with most at savings of 30 to 70 per cent off.
