As the bright shining star that is starting to illuminate the rapidly dimming dark sky that is the Ottawa retail landscape, NORDSTROM is poised to become the ray of hope for those left wanting for more in Canada’s capital. As one of the United States’ retail giant, NORDSTROM is a publicly traded leading specialty fashion destination. With a solid reputation for providing not only high quality selection in fashion, shoes, beauty and home decor but also the ultimate in customer service, NORDSTROM has managed to secure its reputation as the industry leader in more ways than one.
While the Canadian retail industry has suffered quite a few major setbacks recently, especially during the last quarter of 2014 and the first quarter of 2015 (Holt Renfrew finally closed its doors for good at the end of January) with TARGET’s departure in Canada being the biggest blow, the atmosphere at NORDSTROM is, as one can imagine, not only festive but absolutely positive and hopeful.
Can you imagine walking into a 157,000 square-foot store right in the core of downtown Ottawa, just steps away from the Parliament? Well, soon you don’t have to because by early morning of Friday, March 6th, the capital, following Calgary, will be home to Canada’s second ever NORDSTROM store. It will house premium fashion brands known the world over and a promise of the best shopping experience ever.
EXCLUSIVE MEDIA TOUR: OTTAWA WARMLY WELCOMES NORDSTROM TO THE CAPITAL
It’s not by coincidence that the Ottawa media preview attended my media and bloggers (CTV News, CBC, Ottawa Citizen, Ottawa At Home Magazine, Sun News, Metro Ottawa, etc.), an exclusive tour of the almost finished NORDSTROM at the Rideau Centre, started at the shoe department, perhaps the heart and soul of NORDSTROM’s principle on providing the highest quality customer service, the on-the-knees kind of service that thoughtfully extends to each department in the entire store.
NORDSTROM OTTAWA TO OFFER SPECIALTY SERVICES, CAFE AND RESTAURANT
Headed by NORDSTROM Ottawa’s General Manager John Banks and NORDSTROM’s Official Spokesperson John Bailey, the tour included a preview of the store’s general lay-out, design concepts, merchandise offerings (which to tell you the truth is heart stopping, with a six-page long list of the best of the best in men, women, children, home and beauty brands), services and amenities. Aside from a trendy coffee shop, a full-service restaurant (which will also have an outdoor heated terrace to what once was a secret rooftop park of the Rideau Centre, do you remember that?), NORDSTROM will be going above and beyond the usual department store offerings.
The NORDSTROM Rideau Centre location will offer the lost art of a shoe shine service (personally very exciting!) for both men and women, personal styling services, as well as customized beauty service at what will undoubtedly be the busiest section in the store – the massive and absolutely mesmerizing beauty department.
For more gorgeous photos, follow Mashaell on Instagram and Facebook here.
NORDSTROM GALA TO BENEFIT THE OTTAWA REGIONAL CANCER FOUNDATION AND UNITED WAY OTTAWA
Counting the days to the official store opening brings the city closer to the much anticipated NORDSTROM Gala, a now sold out event on Wednesday, March 4th, 2015. As NORDSTROM will underwrite 100% of the ticket sales, the evening will benefit the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation and the United Way Ottawa. The NORDSTROM gala is both a philantropic pursuit as well as fabulous night to remember as gala attendees will be treated to hors d’oeuvres, dinner, desserts, cocktails, live entertainment and of course, a spring fashion presentation.
Check out more photos of the Exclusive Media Tour of NORDSTROM Ottawa by Official Twenty York Street Photographer Ms. Mashaell Abdullah of MASHAELL PHOTOGRAPHY here.
Welcome to heaven! The Shoe Heaven that is! Can you imagine all these filled with beauties?
NORDSTROM RIDEAU CENTRE’S BRAND LIST
Spring Fashion is certainly a surefire way to perk up a city virtually covered in beautiful but cold winter’s snow. With brands names like Kate Spade New York, Tory Burch, Diane von Furstenberg, Current/Elliott, Max Mara and Paige Premium Denim, Alexander Wang, Michael Kors, Mackage for Women’s Fashion; Ted Baker London, Burberry, Diesel, Hugo Boss, Canali, Lacoste, Rag & Bone, Nike, David Donahue and JZ Richards (exclusive to NORDSTROM OTTAWA) for men’s fashion; and Burberry Beauty, Chantecaille, Anastasia Beverly Hills (all three exclsuive to NORDSTROM OTTAWA), MAC, Giorgio Armani, Guerlain, La Prairie, La Mer, Mereadessio, Tom Form, Jo Malone, Shiseido, Clinique, YSL, NARS, Bobbi Brown and more for beauty, the NORDSTROM opening is definitely becoming bigger than a spring fling.
With NORDSTROM’s PR Team. All photos are courtesy of: MASHAELL PHOTOGRAPHY.
Mr. John Bailey, Official Spokesperson, NORDSTROM. Follow John for more updates here.
SHOP AT NORDSTROM IN-STORE AND ONLINE
The love affair certainly continues to the most coveted Shoe Department. How much do we love thee? Oh let us count the ways: Jimmy Choo, Manolo Blahnik, Pedro Garcia, Valentino, Rudsak Shoes, Peek (all exclusive to NORDSTROM in Ottawa), Steve Madden, Ivanka Trump, TOMS, John Varvatos, Dr. Martens, UGG Australia, Jessica Simpson, Manitobah Mukluks, Converse, Aquatalia (and more) for women, men and kids. The list goes on and on that the possibilities to find your perfect pair or two (or ten!) are virtually endless. Add to that fact that you can shop for all these beautiful things both in-store and online 24/7.
We suppose this year’s Stepping Out Event’s Shoe Competition for Dress for Success, which Twenty York Street has been the official judge for the last three years, will be extra hard as the city is set to welcome a sparkling brand new shoe paradise that is NORDSTROM.
Spearheading NORDSTROM Rideau Centre – General Manager John Banks.
With this kind of warm reception extended to NORDSTROM, frost has certainly started to thaw in the nation’s capital. Its very ethos believes in fashion as a business of optimism. In this current precarious retail gloom and doom, NORDSTROM may exactly be the new hope, the new bright star that Ottawa needs to not just survive but thrive as a bonafide major fashion player that it should be.
Are you excited as we are for March 6th?
