Less than six weeks after Nordstrom Inc. said it no longer planned to open a store at Ridgedale Center, the Seattle-based retailer said Wednesday it will open a Nordstrom Rack discount store in Maple Grove this fall.
The 34,000-square-foot store will be in the former Linens 'N' Things space at Main Street Arbor Lakes, at Elm Creek Boulevard and Main Street. The shopping center, owned and operated by Kimco Realty Corp. also has a Chico's, Dana's, Best Buy and Office Depot.
This will be the second Nordstrom Rack in Minnesota. The retailer also operates a Rack and a full-line Nordstrom at the Mall of America in Bloomington. Nordstrom Rack stores offer discounts of 30 to 70 percent on clothing, jewelry and shoes sold at the full-line and online stores.
Like nearly every retail chain in the country, Nordstrom has seen its sales slide in the past year, as even well-heeled consumers pare their shopping habits. In February, Nordstrom's same-store sales for its 110 flagship stores fell nearly 20 percent, while its 58 Nordstrom Racks saw revenue drop less than 1 percent from a year ago.
The company plans to open 13 Racks and just four full-line stores this year to try to take advantage of a changing consumer mind-set. The Rack stores are about two-thirds the size of a full-line Nordstrom. They're less expensive to build than a full-line store and can be open in about six months, Nordstrom spokeswoman Brooke White said.
"We've been pleased with the businesses we've done in greater Minneapolis, and this new location made great sense for us," White said.
JACKIE CROSBY
