Nordstrom Rack contacted me and asked if I would check out one of their nearby locations and I jumped at the chance. I LOVE Nordstrom, I often shop
Nordstrom Rack online, but haven’t been to one of their retail stores in many years. They have recently opened up in Chevy Chase and Annapolis; I decided to visit the Annapolis location.
My sister and I arrived on a Sunday around noon. We were greeted as soon as we arrived. The store is so CLEAN! This is not like a typical outlet store or big box discount retailer; the shop was organized with rounders and fixtures instead of mile-long rolling racks. Clothing was separated by size
(one rounder of sizes 8-10, another for 12-16), and by designer
(one rounder of Lafayette 148 New York, one rounder of Ella Moss). While most of the clothes were standard 0-14, there were some plus size pieces
(including a gorgeous leaf green Rachel Palley maxi dress). They also had mannequins dispersed through the store dressed in available fashions, and even accessorized!
While the majority of the real estate was dedicated to women’s clothing, to the left were men’s fashions, the right and front were beauty, lingerie, and accessories, the back right was children’s clothing, and the entire back of the store were aisles of shoes. I went straight for the shoes – I was thinking I may find my Miss Sixty Jaidens for less than I found on Gilt, or maybe a pair of leopard shoes for fall.
While I didn’t find the Miss Sixtys, I did find the shoes above. And check out that price! I think they were the display shoe because one shoe has a teeny bit of wear – you can see the scuff on the heel and the logo on the footbed is slightly worn. However the shoe is otherwise in perfect condition, comfortable, and for $22? Score!
Nordstrom Rack had a great selection of shoe brands – plenty from Stuart Weitzman, Cole Haan, Sofft, Nine West, Franco Sarto, and other regular brands sold in their department stores. There were also some higher-end lines available. Some were in pristine condition, some looked to be either returns in excellent condition or store displays. The selection was very well organized, there was over an aisle of just size 8 shoes, and some of those available in wide and narrow widths!
After finding my fabulous shoes, I headed to the accessories department. Great selection of bags from brands like Halston Heritage, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Michael Kors, Hobo International, and Cole Haan. I was looking for either a structured handbag in black or a black envelope clutch – didn’t find either but almost bought a MMJ bag that was so utterly lovely but NOT what I really needed. I also checked out their wallets hoping for a Hobo International “Diane”; while they had Hobo wallets, they didn’t have the specific style I desired. I was impressed with their sunglass selection – a rack just of Kate Spade, a rack just of Michael Kors, and then a rack of higher-end brands and one for styles under $50.
The rest of the accessories were a bit underwhelming. The jewelry was a weird hodgepodge that made me feel as though I was at Macy’s or Lord & Taylor – stretchy rings with weird enamel flowers, crystal drops on obviously faux gold chains, lots of beads on cording, and none of it was that awesome of a price. There was a display case with some higher-end jewelry but none looked so fab to get a salesperson to open it. There was an usually large selection of Neutrogena products, which I found really strange
(and the prices weren’t any cheaper than Target or Drugstore.com). They also had Pureology, Redken, and Bliss Spa products – again the prices not all that lower than found online.
The lingerie department reminded me of the sale rack in Nordstrom lingerie departments – crowded rounders with a random assortment. If you want to take the time, you could weed through and maybe find a Wacoal or Natori for $25, but I just didn’t have the desire
(and there were several other women already scrounging). My sister and I did find some great scarves – I bought one not as large as my H&M scarf, but still big enough to be a cummerbund; my sister got a silk oblong to wear in her hair.
Roaming around
Nordstrom Rack, I was impressed with the tiny details. On-site tailor
(fabulous!), great visual merchandising
(as a previous VM I love seeing a well-merchandised store), and the coolest baskets – they have a handle that pulls out and wheels so you can carry like a basket or pull behind you like a rolling suitcase. At the register they had travel sizes of lots of beauty products – Burt’s Bees, Bliss Spa, and various cosmetics.
While the store’s cleanliness and organization was refreshing, the most awesome part of
Nordstrom Rack was the staff. Matthew was the manager, and he was awesome. Dressed to the nines
(this man can rock a bow tie!), so dapper, charming, and fully aware of everything going on in his store. All the salespeople were friendly, and came up to us on the sales floor to see if we were doing okay and needed anything. This wasn’t done in a stalker/annoying way, but in a way where I really felt comfortable saying, “No thank you” but also wouldn’t hesitate to ask one of them to open the display case or help me find the fitting rooms. Enough registers opened for the crowd there, no one had to wait to be rung up.
So now to the good stuff… what I bought!
Franco Sarto Collection “Lotion” Mary Janes – Originally $99.95, paid $21.80
Another Line patent belt – Originally $32, paid $18.97 (worn here) Printed scarf – Originally $38, paid $19.97 (wearing today)
My sister got a silk oblong scarf and a black felt cloche-style hat by Jessica Simpson for this winter
(super cute).
Note: Nordstrom Rack supplied me with a $100 gift card. I chose to write this post, and all opinions are completely my own.
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