Nordstrom’s Newest Store Unites Modern Retail Tech and Old School Service
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Catering to on-the-go shoppers, Nordstrom is opening its first stand-alone Men's Store in Manhattan, weaving together some of its newest retail technology with more traditional customer services.
The Men's Store will open on Broadway between West 57th and West 58th Streets April 12th and is part of a much bigger project--the opening of a 367,000 square-foot flagship, planned for 2019.
At a time when retailers are closing their doors, the full-line store is a first in Manhattan for the department store operator, founded in 1901. When completed, the flagship will encompass four properties in the Columbus Circle neighborhood of Manhattan with the buildings east of Broadway connected on the interiors.
The Nordstrom Men’s Store NYC offers a range of services aimed at bridging the convenience of online shopping with the personal experience of the store. The open, flexible floor plan will allow Nordstrom to evolve how it merchandises products over time depending on what New York customers respond to.
The store seeks to blend retail tech and old school service together seamlessly and target tourists and other on-the-go shoppers.
A made-to-order suit visualizer tool within the store will let customers scan fabric swatches and pull up 3D renderings of what their full suit would look like, and then swap in new features, according to Glossy. The digital screen will then send the final suit to be made.
One of the biggest conveniences at the Men's Store is three-hour same-day delivery for 20$. The service allows busy shoppers to visit Nordstrom on the way to their next activity and have bags sent to their home, office, or hotel within three hours. Providing items are in stock in-store, they can be ordered online and hand-delivered to a customer’s door. Cut off time is 8 pm with later orders delivered the next day.
Nordstrom to You is a new service where the retailer has "put our store on wheels" to bring styling, tailoring, deliveries and more right to a customer’s door.
Self-serve kiosks located at each street level entrance will facilitate express returns for both in-store or online purchases. Through Nordstrom's mobile app, shoppers can utilize Reserve & Try In-Store Services, reserving items online and then popping into the store to try them on. Buy Online Pick-Up In Store is also available, in as fast as two hours at the Men's Store NYC. There's free WI-FI and even a cell phone charging kiosk.
While Nordstrom personal stylists on site may be an old school personalized service, the techy twist is that they can create a digital Style Board with handpicked fashion recommendations sent to a shopper's mobile phone. They can view style picks and have a conversation through the app, as well as purchase directly through Nordstrom.com.
Other old school services include onsite alterations and tailoring services—free for many full-price items, shoe shine services, and the Levi’s Tailor Shop, where shoppers can heat press a shirt, get custom embroidery on any item in-store or get a hem while they wait.
In addition, shoppers can grab a drink at The Clubhouse, a bar with views of Central Park and Columbus Circle. Sober shoppers can check out the coffee shop, a collaboration between Nordstrom Specialty Coffee and Toby’s Estate Coffee, a small batch coffee roaster based in Brooklyn. Of course the coffee shop will also offer draft beer on tap.
