UPDATE: Here's a look inside of Nordstrom Rack's first Canadian store, which opened to the public on March 22, 2018.

Nordstrom has announced the opening dates of its first three Canadian off-price Nordstrom Rack stores, as it prepares to launch a national expansion that could see as many as 15 locations over the next several years. So far, Nordstrom has revealed where six Nordstrom Rack stores will open in 2018 — its first three Canadian stores will open in the spring of 2018, with three more confirmed to be opening in the fall of 2018.

Nordstrom Rack’s first Canadian store will open on March 22, 2018, at Vaughan Mills in suburban Toronto. The 35,315 square foot store will be located across from a Nike Factory Store at the east end of the centre. Vaughan Mills is also anchored by competitors Saks OFF 5TH and Winners/HomeSense — one of Saks OFF 5TH’s first three Canadian stores opened in March of 2016 at Vaughan Mills. As well, Holt Renfrew’s off-price concept hr2 is located in the mall, though it is scheduled to permanently close on December 31 of this year.

On April 26 of 2018, Nordstrom Rack will open its second Canadian store at Deerfoot Meadows in Calgary. The 30,600 square foot store will join a number of popular retailers in the power centre, which is located about 4 km from Nordstrom’s full-line CF Chinook Centre store, which was Canada’s first when it opened in September of 2014.

On May 3 of 2018, Nordstrom Rack will open its third Canadian store in Toronto’s Bloor-Yorkville area. The 38,545 square foot two-level store will include 8,870 square feet on the ground floor occupying the corner space at Bloor Street East and Yonge Street, with an additional 29,675 square feet of space to be located upstairs. The Yonge-Bloor Nordstrom Rack will be located at the base of the One Bloor Street East mixed-use tower that includes a 76-storey condominium tower above, with a Mark McEwan grocery store confirmed to be a new tenant for 18,000 square feet of the podium shared by Nordstrom Rack (McEwan opens towards the end of 2018).

Nordstrom has also confirmed that it will be opening three Canadian locations in the fall of 2018, with dates to be revealed closer to their opening. These will include locations at The Ottawa Train Yards in Ottawa, at South Edmonton Common in Edmonton, and at Heartland Town Centre in Mississauga. All three locations will be approximately 35,000 square feet, according to Nordstrom.

Canada’s Nordstrom Rack stores will feature fashions, accessories and shoes with savings of between 30% and 70% off regular prices. Merchandise will be a mix of product from full-line Nordstrom stores, as well as some items specifically purchased from top brands sold at Nordstrom.

Nordstrom has said that it plans to operate between 10 and 15 Nordstrom Rack stores in Canada, addressing a market that was arguably under-served. At the same time, TJX Canada’s off-price concepts Winners and Marshalls continue to open stores at a rapid pace Canada-wide, not to mention its off-price home concept, HomeSense. The Hudson’s Bay Company’s off-price Saks OFF 5TH concept is also expanding rapidly, with plans to operate approximately 25 stores across Canada by the end of 2018.

On September 15, Nordstrom opened its sixth Canadian store at Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens, marking the end of its planned full-line Canadian store expansion. Nordstrom opened its first Canadian store at Calgary’s CF Chinook Centre in September of 2014, followed by locations at Ottawa’s CF Rideau Centre in March of 2015, at CF Pacific Centre in Vancouver in September of 2015, and two Toronto stores in the fall of 2016 — at CF Toronto Eaton Centre, and at Yorkdale Shopping Centre.

*Top Photo: First Gulf

Canadian Retail News From Around The Web: September 26, 2017