Nordstrom Rack opened its first Metro Vancouver store in Langley on September 17, 2020 and the off-price retailer is already a hit in the Lower Mainland.
The store at Willowbrook Shopping Centre is the company’s first outlet in B.C. The store was originally supposed to open in April 2020, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The retailer already has six Nordstrom Rack locations across Canada: two in Alberta and four in Ontario.
Nordstrom shared new photos of the Langley store on social media ahead of the September grand opening.
The Langley location also has a home decor section, with off-price decor and accessories.
Nordstrom Rack Langley hours
Nordstrom Rack Willowbrook is open seven days a week, for the following hours (as of October 2020)
- Friday: 10am-8pm
- Saturday:10am-8pm
- Sunday: 11am-7pm
- Monday: 10am-8pm
- Tuesday: 10am-8pm
- Wednesday: 10am-8pm
- Thursday: 10am-8pm
The Langley location is approximately 30,000 square feet and is located in the mall’s former Sears store, at 19705 Fraser Hwy Unit 610, Langley, B.C. V3A 7E9, at the Willowbrook Shopping Centre.
Many Metro Vancouver residents are familiar with the off-price retailer, which has several locations in and around the Seattle area, which is also the home city of Nordstrom.
The owner of Willowbrook Shopping Centre, QuadReal, is confident the store will be an irresistible draw for savvy shoppers across Metro Vancouver.
“We’re proud to host the first Nordstrom Rack in B.C. and deliver the kinds of retail experiences our customers are asking for at our newly renovated Willowbrook location,” said Andy Clydesdale, executive vice president of retail, QuadReal. “Nordstrom Rack will no doubt be a destination for shoppers from all across Metro Vancouver.”
Nordstrom has 242 Rack locations across the U.S., as well as 118 full-line department stores.
In addition to the Langley store, the company’s downtown Vancouver department store is reportedly the top-performing store in the chain.
The retailer is famous for its “employee handbook”, which fits neatly onto a 5×8″ card. It reads:
Welcome to Nordstrom
We’re glad to have you with our Company. Our number one goal is to provide outstanding customer service. Set both your personal and professional goals high. We have great confidence in your ability to achieve them.
Nordstrom Rules: Rule #1: Use best judgment in all situations. There will be no additional rules.
Please feel free to ask your department manager, store manager, or division general manager any question at any time.
What is Nordstrom Rack?
The stores offer a mix of merchandise from full-line Nordstrom department stores, as well as brands offered there, sold directly to the off-price division.
It’s similar to Saks Off Fifth, the off-price division of Hudson’s Bay which sells merchandise sourced from the company’s department stores across North America.
Q: What is Nordstrom Rack?
A: Nordstrom Rack is the off-price division of Nordstrom, Inc. offering clearance merchandise from Nordstrom stores as well as items purchased specially for Nordstrom Rack. The store offers significant savings on great brands with most at 30-70% off.
Q: How is Nordstrom Rack different from your full-line stores?
A: Nordstrom Rack is more of a self-service shopping experience where our stores are designed to make it easy for customers to find great savings on name-brand merchandise. Nordstrom Rack carries many of the same great brands we have at the full-line stores, but at savings of 30-70% off.
Q: What makes Nordstrom Rack different from other off-price retailers?
A: Nordstrom Rack carries the brands and quality of our merchandise, including transfer items that come directly from Nordstrom stores. You’ll find significant savings on trend right merchandise and an impressive selection of apparel, accessories and shoes, from many of the same brands carried in Nordstrom stores.
Q: What is the merchandise mix like?
A: Every Nordstrom Rack is different and we tailor our offering to the local communities we serve. The merchandise mix changes with every truck as we have new trend-right merchandise arriving daily.
Q. Why does Nordstrom open Rack stores so close to full-line stores?
A: We’ve found that Nordstrom Rack and full-line stores complement each other nicely. Many customers shop at both stores and this gives us a way to better serve them while making it more convenient for them to shop with us. There are many cities where they are in close proximity but not all.
Q: How do you determine where the best location is to open?
A: We think carefully about where to open our stores and consider a number of factors before choosing a location. While there are many great shopping centres out there, we do our best to find the best fit for our stores at the top retail destinations.
Willowbrook redevelopment in the cards
The announcement of Nordstrom Rack is a key part of QuadReal’s plans to revitalize the shopping centre and take advantage of improved transit in the area, including the planned SkyTrain extension from Surrey to Langley.
QuadReal says it’s analyzing the feasibility of including a mixed-use, residential and retail component to the shopping centre in the near to mid term.
The shopping centre opened in 1979, and since then, Langley has seen incredible growth.
Today, Langley is home to more than 121,000 residents, and recorded a growth rate of 12.6 per cent over the last census period (2011-2016), according to statistics provided by the Township of Langley. The population is expected to double by 2040.
