All along, Nordstrom officials have promised to deliver their portion of Providence Place – all 206,000 square feet of it – by August 20, 1999. In recent weeks, they have presented evidence to prove that they in fact plan to make good on that promise.
Nordstrom officials have been visiting Providence in force in recent weeks, talking about details of their 100th store and about how they plan to hire 350 workers. While it appears much of the long-awaited Providence Place mall will open gradually – between this summer and the spring of 2000 – Nordstom expects to open its doors to a big crowd on Friday, Aug. 20.
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Recently, company officials, including Lisa Hornbuckle, who will serve as store manager at Nordstrom’s Providence Place location, took a collection of print and television media representatives on a “hard hat” tour throughout the three floors the Seattle-based retailer will occupy.
While construction is ongoing, much of the interior of the store is complete. Carpeting, though covered in plastic, is down. Escalators are in place, as are the work stations for soon-to-be-hired sales associates. Each department is taking shape, including Nordstrom’s famous shoe departments.
“We will open with 60,000 pairs of shoes in stock,” Hornbuckle said.
The store will also open to the sounds of a grand piano, which will be played whenever the store is available to customers. Other features alluded to during the tour include a line of exclusive clothing brands available for the first time in Providence, an in-store tailoring department, a “personal touch” department where sales associates will do the shopping for those busy executives who just don’t have the time, and a third-floor Café Nordstom with a breathtaking view of the State House and East Side.
Nordstrom was founded by John W. Nordstrom as a shoe store in Seattle in 1901. In 1998, Nordstrom reported sales of $5 billion.
On Tuesday, August 17, Jim Nordstrom, co-president and fourth generation family member, will be the keynote speaker at a breakfast with the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce. He is expected to discuss the retailer’s business philosophy and future expansion plans. The event will be held at Nordstom’s Providence Place location.
