Nordstrom is testing a tiny new store that doesn't sell clothes

Nordstrom is testing a store concept that's a fraction of the usual size and doesn't sell clothes.

The new Nordstrom Local store, opening October 3 in West Hollywood, California, will be 3,000 square feet, compared with 140,000 square feet for the average department store, reports Suzanne Kapner at The Wall Street Journal.

"It will contain eight dressing rooms, where shoppers can try on clothes and accessories, though the store won't stock them," Kapner writes. "Instead, personal stylists will retrieve goods from nine Nordstrom locations in Los Angeles, or through its website. The stylists can also pull together looks for shoppers through a 'style board' app."

The store will also offer manicures, a bar that sells coffee and alcohol, and in-store pickup for online orders.

The department store has considered buying out shareholders and going private amid years of declining sales.

Nordstrom has also increasingly leaned on its off-price chain, Nordstrom Rack, for growth. These stores now outnumber Nordstrom's full-price locations.

The smaller concept store comes as department stores like Macy's, Sears, and JCPenney are closing hundreds of stores.