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Nordstrom Rack?

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

I just found out that my local mall is opening Nordstrom Rack in March. Not knowing anything thing about this store am turning to my lovely Fabbers to hear your experiences and thoughts?

Shopping

40 replies

Latest reply was from puppycat

Quietgirl

Veteran

That is so exciting! I am not a good "instant" shopper so I often get overwhelmed in this store. I have purchased things I needed (sneaks for instance) but I didn't believe I got a "good deal". Our daughter has a great eye for fashion and ALWAYS comes up with great items there. I will be interested to hear what you think after shopping there.

Anonymous

I have seen lots of brands that I don't recognise from the main Nordstrom store, so I suspect the company, like others, has outlet brands. I hunt for brands that I recognise and might not pay full price for in the store. What they stock may depend on your area. I am in a 2nd or 3rd tier Nordstrom location so don't find much on offer at our Rack. But I have found some fabulous items in larger urban or more upscale areas.

Anonymous

I love the Rack,. Athough it has its own Nordstrom brands, it also has lots of good ones. About every 6 weeks there are Clear the Rack sales with a percentage off clearance prices. They have a 90 day return policy and a tailor on duty. It is a good place to look for a wild card and is hit or miss. You can also take your Nordstrom returns there.

Murph11

Veteran

if you like outlet shopping, The Rack should work for you. I get overwhelmed.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I love the Rack too, but I only go when I have time to kill and I'm in the mood to browse, or I have something very specific and targeted I'm looking for so I can ignore everything else. I find it very hit-or-miss, and not all Racks are created equal -- some get better merchandise than others. I think it depends on the market each store is located in, and the nearest one to me is a "small" and rather conservative market. If I go 45 minutes away to ones closer to Washington or Baltimore, the selection tends to be better and more upscale.

There do seem to be certain brands that just show up at the Rack, but you can find some good stuff there.

BrieN

Veteran

I've been impressed by the shoe department at my local Nordstrom Rack--it has a great selection of current styles, well organized, clean, lots of mirrors. The Rack also seems to carry a deep selection of shoe sizes -- I think I've seen a lot of shoes in both the smaller than average and larger than average sizes. I remember talking to a SA in the shoe department of the regular Nordstrom once and she was telling me all of the great boots that they had at the Rack that week. And great shoes for kids if that's your gig.

The Rack sales associates are very helpful when you are looking for something specific. There are a lot of them on the floor at any one time. I think the dressing rooms are actually better than my local Nordstrom where even though they are "luxe" the lighting is so bad that it actually dissuades me from purchases.

I just visited my local Rack yesterday and came home with a cute Halogen skirt (the tweed one with the fringe). And I have 90 days to return it.

always trying

Veteran

Several years ago the rack was full of junk. Back when you could return anything from anywhere without a receipt to Nordstroms it ended up at the rack. So for years I avoided it. Then they opened one closer to me and I started going occasionally. As of just about a year ago they opened one even closer to me. this is a higher end OC California, and I find some nice things there. So I guess as others said, they may vary according to the area.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

The Rack is fab. Have low expectations and you'll come out with treasures every once in a while.

JAileen

Veteran

We got one last year. It's not like having a Nordstrom. They have a huge selection of shoes, but not many clothes. I've bought a scarf and little sockies and that's it.

Eliza

Veteran

Racks vary by location and market, however in my experience, there has been a general decrease in high quality selections over the last 3 or 4 years. I think it was Anna who posted quite awhile ago that the percentage of Rack merchandise that was actual Nordstrom stock had decreased to a very low number.

That said, I have some epic Rack bargains in my closet. $700 Italian jacket for $45, for example. I go and explore periodically and sometimes luck out. It is just important to be flexible about what you may find.

MsMary

Veteran

My very favorite thing about the Rack is being able to do returns from online regular Nordstrom orders without feeling guilty about taking up the time of the salespeople at the "real" Nordstrom, who work on commission. I agree it's hit or miss but I've found some treasures at my Rack.

abc

Veteran

I tend to focus on the shoe department when I hit any Rack store.

The clear the racks percent off as Joy mentioned can be nice if you time it right.

THey do indeed carry some "made for Rack" brands, meaning it was never in a full line Nordstrom store. YMMV on those items. I've had good luck with some of the made for Rack Zella workout wear.

If you are a Nordstrom shopper you will know what brands / items likely came from a full line store vs made for Rack. I guess that is just dependent on if you're a Nordies shopper, but I do find the intelligence helpful in making decisions, knowing if something is a good deal or not, etc.

THere typically is an Eileen Fisher rack and I usually browse there for kicks, occasionally coming away with a find.

Good luck and keep us posted.

Laura (rhubarbgirl)

(website)

Veteran

You can return regular Nordstrom orders to the Rack? How did I not know this?

I agree with everyone else, selection is often meh, but you can find good deals at times, especially in shoes, bags, and beauty IME.

rabbit

Veteran

Agreeing with many of the previous posts and that my best rack scores are the items (often one-off returns) that have come from the regular Nordstrom stores -- and that depends on the Nordstrom they are situated close to, I usually scan the mixed up clearance racks first, skip the carousals of Rack only brands and browse through the brands regular Nordstrom carries. I love Clear the Rack but always miss the date, I don't know why they don't send out emails or I miss them...

Both of the Racks near me are a cluttered jumble on the shoe racks, so I scan for color or shape and check the sizes near my size too. But I'm perfectly happy (in fact more happy) in a store with more variety of items where I have to do some hunting and gathering.

shedev

Veteran

A lot of my jeans come from the Rack. They have a fairly good selection. The clothing tends to be a little conservative at mine. They get a good amount of Free People.

catgirl

Veteran

We just got one here. It's got some good finds and is fun for those of us who like hunting and gathering. However, I haven't seen a lot of turnover with merchandise - some of the same stuff is still there after several months. Ours has lots of cashmere and denim.

kkards

Veteran

http://www.businessinsider.com.....rom-2016-2
something to think about;

there are over 3300 off price stores (TJMaxx/Marshalls/Ross/Rack) and countless outlet malls....and more coming as Macy's has announced that they are experimenting with this as well....and yet, regular department stores and specialty stores are closing.....so where is the merchandise that is filling these off price stores coming from?

Anonymous

I have purchased underwear (great deal), pajama's (great deal), and a gym bag. I haven't bought anything beyond that. My store is always packed though and people stand in line to make their purchases. By this, I mean people aren't browsing. They are buying.

rabbit

Veteran

Kkards thanks for the article, my gut feeling is that part of it is that when the economy hourglasses as it increasingly has, you end up with fewer mid to high end consumers. Even though the affluent might have more money as individuals, they aren't necessarily going to be buying more items of clothing during the year than someone like me whose ideal price point is the off-price stores.

The merchandise is coming from the same manufacturers I'd imagine, just by a different route.

Some interesting reading I found about off-price retail focusing on T J Maxx, it's from 2014 though so I'm not sure what 2015 looked like:

http://fortune.com/2014/07/24/.....ail-store/ I definitely cop to being a 'treasure hunter' and susceptible to that psychological allure. I also was interested in what it said about how prices are set vs. traditional retail and its customer base.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com.....owitz/5091

Anonymous

Another Rack is opening near me later this year. There is one 20 miles from me already. This one will be 15 in the other direction. Personally, I have never bought anything there, but I do not go often enough. My guilty pleasure is Bloomingdales! But I will say that I love the handbag section at Nordstrom Rack and yes the shoes too!

Anonymous

I have made some awesome finds at Nordie Racks, but it can be hit or miss.

Anonymous

P.s. best time to shop is after Nordies has their sales, then they send merchandise that didn't sell to the rack.

Anonymous

Rabbit, good article on TJMaxx, Home Goods, like that store and Marshalls too.

MsMaven

Veteran

Years ago I found great stuff at the Nordstrom Rack not far from where my parents lived in Salt Lake. I got many pairs of Ferragamo shoes there, as well as other brands. A visit to them always included a stop by the Rack.

I rarely find anything at the store here in San Jose. I've bought a couple of pairs of Clarks, but lately I don't find much in the shoe section in my size, and little of interest elsewhere. Maybe I should visit as Linder says, after Nordie's sales.

TraceyLiz65

(website)

Veteran

Love everyone for chiming in. My take away is that they are all different, but the most common thread among them is a good shoe department. As a previous consignment store owner and thrifted, I like the idea of it being hit or miss for treasures. With slowing down buying this sounds like a good place for me to explore. Thanks for the input and I will definitely post next month after they open of my experience!

Greenjeans

Veteran

The Rack is a place I go into with high hopes and come out feeling dirty/cheap. The shoe department has some zing.

Beth Ann

Veteran

Yes, each Rack is different. The one near me in my new city is better than the ones in suburban Chicago, although the Indy Nordstrom's doesn't carry as wide an array of merch. The shoes are excellent, as are the handbags and accessories! I also have gotten some nice denim there -- it's better organized the many of the other areas in the store. The workout wear is also good.

I often check out the Rack on top of another, less fun, errant (groceries, anyone?).

Lana

(website)

Veteran

Love Nordstrom rack! My only experience has been with the online version though and I specifically look for NYDJ jeans on a regular basis along with other specific brands that I like.

lisaflex

Veteran

definite hit or miss. shoe dept rocks!

some of the clothing has never seen the inside of a regular nordie's...its made for the rack ie outlet

just check items closely some are defective, dirty, not stitched correctly, etc....

i just did get a great score on zella yoga outfits last week! yeah.

lines are usually a bit long, no matter time of day...good luck hunting the good stuff down

i only go when i have a chunk of time as it takes awhile to sort thru everything

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