Nordstrom Stands Strong As Seattle’s Last Retail Giant

When I was a kid, it was the golden age of the department store in Seattle. It was all about the Bon Marche and Frederick and Nelson along with the immense Sears building near downtown Seattle and then there was Nordstrom originally founded back in 1901. 

Our family lived in Burien, and it was always an event to make a trip to Seattle to visit one of these stores. Now it seems like the only major department store in Seattle is Nordstrom, although I'm sure there's a Macy's floating around there somewhere. (10 to be exact surrounding Seattle.) 

Yes, we have a Macy's in East Wenatchee and it's a lovely store, but I would venture to say that the last major department store in Seattle is Nordstrom. 

Kind of off the subject, but I have a personal friend who used to be a piano player for Nordstrom. 

Well, like everybody else in retail, Nordstrom is having to tighten their belts as well. Right now, it is tough for department stores in this economy, and for that reason, Nordstrom has announced that they're closing two stores. 

The good news is, (as far as I'm concerned anyway), none of those closures are taking place in Washington state. 

According to msn.com,
‘America's department store struggles are continuing. Nordstrom confirmed it is closing two stores — one in Santa Monica, California, and another in St. Louis, Missouri — by the end of August.’ 

Nordstrom has upwards of 380 stores so closing two stores is not a huge problem for the company, although it certainly is a problem for their employees at those two stores. 

There were no employee numbers for the Santa Monica store available, but the Missouri store employed approximately 130, and Nordstroms is hoping to relocate as many of those employees as possible into other nearby stores in the company. 

Over the last couple of years Nordstrom has closed underperforming stores In New York and Massachusetts but this is not considered a pullback by the retail giant. They're also opening new stores, in fact, Nordstrom is going to be opening new stores in Idaho, Texas, Massachusetts, and Florida. 

Trendy Nordstrom will close locations in two major cities by the end of summer 
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