Nordstrom in Honolulu

[pzarquon]

Nordstrom’s grand debut (http://starbulletin.com/2008/02/01/business/story02.html)
Nordstrom, which is slated to open on March 7, will offer 210,000 square feet of designer fashion labels for men, women and children on three levels at Ala Moana Center. And shoes -- tens of thousands of pairs of shoes. The opening comes with quite a bit of anticipation, given that it's the Seattle-based company's 103rd first full-line department store, and its first off the shores of the U.S. mainland.
Nordstrom stepping it up with shoes and beyond (http://www.honoluluadvertiser.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080201/NEWS01/802010372/1190/NEWS01)
The specialty retailer has been in the shoe business in Hawai'i for 40 years, running the Liberty House shoe department until 1997, then opening a standalone shoe store in Ward Centre and a Nordstrom Rack store nearby. When Nordstrom Ala Moana opens on March 7, however, its shoe departments — yes, that's plural — will top any of the department store's past offerings. There are five shoe departments, covering one-third of an acre of retail space. Three of those departments, and a similar percentage of their shoes, are for women, since 75 percent of Nordstrom's shoppers are female.
Hawaii's first Nordstrom store gets ready for Grand Opening (http://www.khon2.com/news/business/15093006.html)
With 210-thousand square feet of space in three levels, the store plans to have something for everyone. There will be plenty of top of the line designer labels, but also fashions that are considered affordable. The variety is a big draw for loyal Nordstrom shoppers. "It's kind of a place where you feel like you have money whether you do or not and you actually feel like you can afford things," said one loyal shopper, Lynn Cook. While Nordstrom is part of a massive chain of more than a 100 stores, this one is geared for Hawaii customers. Clothing by local designers will be brought in. But loyal customers are more excited about finding bargains from the sale racks.
Nordstrom Tour Reveals Several Surprises (http://www.khnl.com/Global/story.asp?S=7806336)
"We are really excited to open our first full line store here at Ala Moana March 7th at 9:30 am," said store manager Brian Tatsumura. There are five shoe departments including women's, men and childrens. If you stacked all the shoe boxes on top of each other it would reach five miles high.On top of very obedient coverage by the local mainstream media, I see Nordstrom is also pumping a lot of money into online advertising. Seems like I'm seeing Hawaii-targeted contextual ads for Nordstrom popping up on every site I read (including this one!).

[mel]

I wonder if Imelda Marcos will come to Hawaii to shop for shoes?

[Pomai]

Wow. 210,000 square feet, eh? That's approximately 70,000 sq. ft. larger than the Iwilei Home Depot.

And more opportunity for my girlfriend to clutter our place with even more shoes! :eek: :mad: :D

[tutusue]

Clothing by local designers will be brought in.
Ummm...from where? China? The Philippines? Or is that a retail industry term for brought inside the store?
And shoes -- tens of thousands of pairs of shoes.
[...]
There are five shoe departments
But...will they carry flip flops? Designer flip flops? I bought a pair of high heel (1.5" heels) flip flops at Liberty House (maybe it was Macy's then) a few years ago. Then I found them at the 99¢ Store in a myriad of colors! :rolleyes: They're my dress up shoes! :D

I doubt my (lack of) passion for shopping will entice me into Nordstrums anytime soon. I have yet to visit Sam's Club/WalMart on Keeaumoku!!!

[pzarquon]

Wow. 210,000 square feet, eh? That's approximately 70,000 sq. ft. larger than the Iwilei Home Depot.It sounds big, and it is, but I was surprised to learn that it will also be about half the size of the current Sears store. They don't call them "anchor stores" for nothing, I guess.

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2095/1519939353_96758468c1.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/1519939353/) http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2014/1519712897_d74d4ef32f.jpg (http://www.flickr.com/photos/hawaii/1519712897/)

The Nordstrom expansion of the mall, reaching mauka to Kapiolani, is a monument to retail excess. One of the news reports made passing mention of "Hawaiian architecture" touches, and I just about lost my lunch. I'm a little more curious about the smaller stores that will cluster around Nordstrom the way barnacles cling to whales, but that's not saying much.

[Honoruru]

I'm a little more curious about the smaller stores that will cluster around Nordstrom the way barnacles cling to whales, but that's not saying much.

That would be a great name for such a store ... Barnacles.

[Pomai]

That would be a great name for such a store ... Barnacles.That business already exists. It's called Starbucks.

They cling to corners like barnacles cling to whales. :p

[scrivener]

I'm so irritated with the Kapiolani-facing side of the store. They could really turn that passageway into something appealing and worth walking past if they would put some dang frickin' windows there, and maybe even an entrance. I don't know where to get the data, but I would bet that accidents at the Kapiolani/Kaheka intersection are going to increase, because cars moving in the Waikiki direction past that Nordstrom are going to speed right by. Ticks me off.

[dick]

Yet another horrific block of concrete.

It literally makes me sick when I see yet another completely uninspired piece-of-crap joke of architecture being erected in Honolulu. I guess the beige color and complete lack of character is the "Hawaiian Architecture" part of the plan.

C.W. Dickey is rolling in his grave as we speak.

Seems like anything going up these days is either some grotesque tower of fun house mirrors or a windowless bunker-like behemoth.

Sad, indeed.

[Pomai]

Yet another horrific block of concrete.
Sad, indeed.Just be thankful it isn't another storage facility, like the one that will soon replace the former Kapiolani Shopping Plaza (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2007/Mar/21/ln/FP703210397.html) across McCully Shopping Center. :mad:

That REALLY sickens me. Almost as bad as the one built on prime waterfront property on the Hawaii Kai Marina next to the bridge. WT..?! :mad:

[leashlaws]

Ummm...from where? China? The Philippines? Or is that a retail industry term for brought inside the store?

But...will they carry flip flops? Designer flip flops? I bought a pair of high heel (1.5" heels) flip flops at Liberty House (maybe it was Macy's then) a few years ago. Then I found them at the 99¢ Store in a myriad of colors! :rolleyes: They're my dress up shoes! :D

I doubt my (lack of) passion for shopping will entice me into Nordstrums anytime soon. I have yet to visit Sam's Club/WalMart on Keeaumoku!!!

I've never set foot in a WalMart, perish the thought, YUCK. I know Anne Namba is one of the local designers and while I have lots of her clothes I do know that lots of the RTW is made in China unfortunately, at least she's from here as consolation.

[tutusue]

[...]Almost as bad as the one built on prime waterfront property on the Hawaii Kai Marina next to the bridge. WT..?! :mad:
Ya know, I cringe every time I pass that facility. Storage? Waterfront? What an unbelievable waste of prime property, imnsho that is! I understand the manager lives on site. I wonder if that unit has a view, at least, or if it faces more ewa/mauka

Storage? Waterfront? Amazing!

[dick]

Just be thankful it isn't another storage facility

Well, in terms of architecture, there really isn't any difference. It's an ugly building with zero character.

[GeckoGeek]

I'm an engineer. Me? In Nordstrom? The world would implode.

[tutusue]

Well, in terms of architecture, there really isn't any difference. It's an ugly building with zero character.
I agree. Throw some thatch on the roof and trim the exterior in bamboo then maybe I'll walk in that store! :D

(I know...I know...it'll take one heckuva lot more than that to make it less of an eyesore!)

[Random]

I agree. Throw some thatch on the roof and trim the exterior in bamboo then maybe I'll walk in that store! :D

(I know...I know...it'll take one heckuva lot more than that to make it less of an eyesore!)
Or paint it brown and orange, and watch as many Waipahu residents come down in droves.

P.S. Yes, manong and manang. I'm making fun of my own people. :p

[anapuni808]

I don't care how ugly the store is - I'll happily shop there! I'm so tired of the crappy customer service at Macy's.

Plus, Nordstrom is already contributing $$$ to the community, as is their corporate practice. So is Target (even though their stores are not even built).

Things change. We all loved the wide open feel of the street and all the little shops we were used to. We may not like the look of it but the store is there. It certainly isn't as ugly as Wal-Mart's block or the new Safeway in Kapahulu.

[localmoco]

I was unpleasantly suprised at how ugly and pedestrian-unfriendly the exterior of the store is. Callison Architecture usually produces better designs than that. I work in the construction industry and have done several projects with them that were all very nice. One of the senior architects in their Nordstrom studio is a big island native (but did not design this project) who undoubtedly will hear some negative feedback from local folks.

[LikaNui]

Anybody see the Sunday edition of the Advertiser yesterday? A huge article (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Mar/02/ln/hawaii803020364.html) about Nordstrom's on the very front page, plus another huge Nordstrom article (http://the.honoluluadvertiser.com/article/2008/Mar/02/il/hawaii803020305.html) on the front page of the Island Life section!!! :eek:
The Star-Bulletin had nothing.
Gee. I wonder which paper is selling out their editorial side to benefit their advertising side? :rolleyes:
:(

[pzarquon]

Gee. I wonder which paper is selling out their editorial side to benefit their advertising side?Maybe Gannett's solution to the pending strike is to add Nordstrom gift cards to their union benefits package?

I gotta say, Nordstrom is spending a heap of cash in online advertising. Any site that uses Google Adsense (including this one) immediately pegs me as a Hawaii resident, and serving up the "We're coming to Honolulu!" ad. It's almost like being stalked by a tiny billboard.

Apparently there's going to be a 'tailgate' party at Ala Moana starting at 7:30 a.m., benefiting three local charities. I'm not interested in Nordstrom, really, but some of the other shops opening up in the new wing have me at least a little curious.

[scrivener]

I am also mostly disinterested in Nordstrom itself and even most of the stores opening up Friday (except for Williams & Sonoma, which doesn't really count), but I am very interested in the new shape of the mall and what it'll be like to cruise from one end to the other. If this were not a crazy week at work, I'd take a day off just to check it out. Some of my students have said the same thing, but I suspect their reasons are different.

[Kaukura]

It'll be interesting to see a Nordstrom here vs. one on the mainland. I remember when the one in San Francisco opened. It was a good store and I liked shopping there. I was a sock fanatic and loved their selection, plus shoes and other clothes that were more conducive to a downtown/financial district worker in an all year round Wool wearing environment.

But since living in Honolulu, I find my dress to be much more casual than what I would want from a Nordstrom. The weather is considerably warmer, and for me, Aloha shirts and dark pants are the norm. I also shop at Ross too and spend far less than I did at Nordstrom or Saks Fifth Avenue or equivalent in Sf.

still, I cannot WAIT to get at their GELATO bar. YUMMMM.

[mergecross]

I was unpleasantly suprised at how ugly and pedestrian-unfriendly the exterior of the store is.
So am I. I don't understand why they couldn't put windows or some kind of display instead of a bare wall. The walls are screaming "I want to get spray painted!"

[helen]

Noticed on Thursday night that the bus stop (across the street from Nordstorm) for the 5,6,17,18 and the rest of the Waikiki buses is open now. The parking lot just behind this bus stop still has the construction stuff inside.

And this morning on my way to work I didn't see any kind of line at the Nordstorm enterance on Kapiolani Blvd.

[Kaukura]

So am I. I don't understand why they couldn't put windows or some kind of display instead of a bare wall. The walls are screaming "I want to get spray painted!"

I dont know. I think it looks allright. There are mock windows from what I could tell, an there is a ton of foliage all along Kapiolani. I can imagine at one time the foliage will be much more prominent after it grows. It seems quite green right now as it is...

[tutusue]

While I don't particularly like how it looks now I think that once the vines and foliage mature it'll probably look quite nice. I think I also noticed a vine type mural near the Kapiolani entrance to the parking structure. Can't really remember as I avoid Kapiolani due to all the road work. And, I avoid driving due to the cost of gas! :D

[lavagal]

shop-a-lea
shop-a-palooza
shop-a-hiki

I don't even have plans to go. I'm sure I will, but...I've never dropped a dime in Needless Markups.

[tutusue]

[...]I don't even have plans to go.[...]
Ditto for me. I haven't even made my first trip to Walmart/Sams Club on Keeaumoku yet! :o

[anapuni808]

sorry if I seem partial - but Nordstrom is NOTHING like N/M! They (and N/M) have much of the same merchandise that you will find at Macy's and at the same price. However - their customer service beats everyone! That's what makes the store a fun place to shop. I don't have the income that I had in California so I won't be in the store very often - but I know when I go there, I will be treated the same as if I was still making $55,000 per year. Wow, writing that number really hurts - those days were so much fun! I'm not a "shopper" - I tend to go to a store when I need to buy something. and if I can go to a store, find what I need and get treated right in the process - that's where I will shop.

and when that store has a corporate policy of contributing back into the community? well, that's just an added incentive to give them what little shopping $$$ I have.

[i-hungry]

I have been to other Nordstroms several times in the past 20 years. I can't see myself queuing up in line to check out a grand opening. Its just a department store.

[anapuni808]

I totally agree with you on that point - it will be at least a couple of weeks before I visit the store. Can't stand all the opening hoopla and all the crowds!

[oceanpacific]

I confess that I "took a stroll" through Nordstrom yesterday. Only because I was in the area - I had a dental appointment in the nearby Ala Moana Building. I shopped in their South Coast Plaza (Santa Ana, CA) store three decades ago and even once had their store credit card.

But, shoes aren't my thing and they've got a lot of store space devoted to that! At this point, Macy and Sears take care of my basic shopping, as do Costco and Sam's Club. There's also Nordstrom's Rack in Ward Center.

[helen]

I stopped by yesterday on my way home and spent somewhere between 30 to 45 minutes just looking around and also finding a place to buy dinner. There was a line to get in to the cafe on the first floor. And the two E Bars was just offering coffee and smoothies.

What had impressed me was the complex itself, I exited Nordstrom on the 3rd floor and started to look around at the other shops there. Had a couple of stores yet to open and there were others that were open.

As I continued to walk in the ocean direction, looking at the new shops, the next thing I know I am at the main shopping center complex.

[i-hungry]

Will the Nordstrom Rack continue now that the regular store is open?

[scrivener]

The Rack is for discontinued items, so I would be surprised if it didn't have even better stock now. I mean, its source will be right down the street, right?

[anapuni808]

maybe now it will become a REAL Nordstrom Rack instead of just a discount store with most of the items being sold having never seen the inside of a store!

[Kaukura]

Drove down again on Kapiolani and noticed the "trellases" (sp?) going up the building. There are already vines wrapping around, plus the flowers at the base and the foliage on the outer sidewalk side running along the street makes me think it's going to look much nicer as the trees grow.

the only odd thing I found, on the Kona side, in the above mentioned restaurant at the Kona/K'moku entrance, you will see an outdoor seating area running along Kona street. *cough cough gag choke* on the car and bus fumes in that subterranean seating area. I can't imagine how somebody would find an ambience in that area. They even have umbrellas above the tables and there is no sun just the whirr of cars driving down kona in choke backedup traffic.

would have been nicer on the K'moku side IMO.
Also surprised they didn't think of rooftop lunch/dinner.