NORFOLK, Va. - Nordstrom will leave MacArthur Center in April, according to a mall spokesperson.
The Nordstrom at MacArthur Center (Photo: News 3's Brian Hill)
Nordstrom plans to close its full-line stores at MacArthur Center and The Mall at Wellington Green in Wellington, Florida.
The stores will continue to serve customers through Friday, April 5.
Karen Husslebee told News 3 they were notified by the City of Norfolk that Nordstrom gave notice that they planned to vacate the property.
“We keep a close eye on the long-term performance of our stores, real estate agreements and the future needs of our business. We look at our business market-by-market to understand where we have opportunities to grow while also being as efficient as possible in serving our customers,” said Jamie Nordstrom, president of Nordstrom stores. “Looking at the needs in these markets and the investments needed to sustain these stores, we decided it made the most sense to close these stores and focus on other ways we can best serve our customers, including nearby Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores as well as online.”
Dr. Bob McNab, an economics professor at Old Dominion University, says online sales are a big part of the downward spiral for brick and mortar stores.
“People are shopping online. Cultural preferences have changed. The ability of people to spend hours on time carousing around an area, engaging in conversation, buying things has just changed," McNab said.
The closure comes just a day after Husslebee confirmed that Zales, Chico's, and Yankee Candle would be leaving at the end of the month.
We've previously reported Banana Republic, Williams-Sonoma Pottery Barn and Aveda are leaving.
A mall spokesperson said this is a time where shopping centers are making changes.
“Shopping centers are redefining themselves and trending in new directions universally," Karen Husslbee, the center's Marketing Director, explained. "Retail is shifting to reflect the needs of the current and future consumer. MacArthur Center and Starwood Retail Partners are fully committed, invested and passionate about the future of MacArthur Center. We are not going anywhere.”
We have reached out to Nordstrom for comment on the decision.
“Each of our stores gives us the opportunity to build meaningful relationships throughout the local community, and that has certainly been the case in both Norfolk and Wellington,” said Nordstrom. “We appreciate the hard work of our employees here and are committed to supporting them through this transition.”'
The closure will impact approximately 85 non-seasonal employees in Norfolk.
Nordstrom is working with each impacted employee to determine what their next steps will be and will work hard to find new roles for them within Nordstrom whenever possible.
Nordstrom will continue to serve customers online and at nearby stores, including: Nordstrom Rack Pembroke Mall in Virginia Beach; Nordstrom Rack Palm Beach Outlets in West Palm Beach, Florida; Nordstrom The Gardens in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida; Nordstrom Town Center at Boca Raton in Boca Raton, Florida; and Nordstrom Rack University Commons in Boca Raton, Florida.
The city is looking at a silver lining with the closure.
"The Nordstrom property is publicly-held so the closure offers us a unique opportunity to reimagine this strategic location," the city's Corporate Communcations Director Lori Crouch said. "The city owns the building. Just like we did at the former JCPenney site at Military Circle, we have an opportunity again to think about how we shape this location for the future. Don’t lose sight of Waterside District, IKEA, ADP and the Norfolk Premium Outlet mall and these contributions to our economic portfolio."
