Nordstrom Rack opens in Westlake

Eager shoppers wait in line for the grand opening of the Nordstrom Rack in the Promenade at Crocker Park on Sept. 12. Photo by Carol Maat.

The fashionable and frugal alike braved the cool, soggy morning of Sept. 12 to welcome Westlake’s newest retailer to Crocker Park. Nordstrom Rack, the off-price sister store of Nordstrom, opened its second Cleveland-area location on the former site of Borders bookstore.

The earliest shoppers began showing up at 6 a.m. and by the time the store opened its doors three hours later, a line of umbrellas snaked halfway around the building. In a scene reminiscent of the holiday season, a steady stream of cars circled the packed parking lot throughout the day.

The gloom of the morning was left at the door, as customers were met inside the foyer with a “Welcome to the Rack!” from a cheerful greeter before entering the bright and bustling store. Sales associates in neon green shirts zipped up and down the aisles, answering questions, directing shoppers and ringing up purchases with their mobile phones.

Reached by phone while at the launch of another location in Oklahoma City that morning – five Rack stores celebrated grand openings on Sept. 12 – company spokesperson Kate DeToye said the company was happy to have "an opportunity to do a better job serving customers on the west side of Cleveland. We are excited about the great location at Crocker Park."

The 34,000-square-foot Nordstrom Rack offers clearance merchandise from full-line Nordstrom stores, as well as specially purchased, discounted items including clothing, footwear, cosmetics, handbags and accessories. The area’s other Rack location is in Legacy Village in Lyndhurst, and there is a full-line Nordstrom in Beachwood Place.

Store hours for Nordstrom Rack Crocker Park are Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m.-9 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

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Volume 5, Issue 19, Posted 10:36 AM, 09.17.2013