Bethany Biron/Business Insider
Nordstrom NYC opened its doors on Thursday.
- Nordstrom opened its massive New York City flagship and women's department store on Thursday, drawing massive crowds of shoppers to behold the seven-store behemoth in all its glory.
- "The role of the store is changing, but stores matter a lot," Shea Jensen, Nordstrom's senior vice president of service and experience, told Business Insider at the grand opening.
- I visited Nordstrom NYC on opening day and it felt like going to a
retail amusement park. Here's a closer look at what it was like. - Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
At long last, Nordstrom NYC is finally here.
The much-anticipated flagship and women's department store officially opened its doors Thursday, luring massive crowds of sharply dressed shoppers who came from near and far to behold the store in its seven-floor glory. As they browsed the 320,000 square feet of retail space on West 57th Street, a DJ spun pop tunes from the likes of J.Lo and Diana Ross while employees doled out samples of mochi doughnuts to keep spirits high.
I felt the excitement firsthand, as I was among the masses traipsing through the behemoth store on Thursday morning. Walking into Nordstrom NYC felt like visiting a retail amusement park, from the highly curated product assortment, Instagrammable interactive pop-up shops, and vast array of food options.
This was, of course, by design. Shea Jensen, Nordstrom's senior vice president of service and experience, said even though customers are shopping online more than ever before, the idea of an aspirational physical department store still plays a vital role in retail.
"The role of the store is changing, but stores matter a lot," Shea told Business Insider at the grand opening. "They're a place to discover, to become inspired by fashion or new brands. They're also a place to access great help through fit or styling expertise. They're a place to see, touch, feel, and try on the product."
After two hours in the store, it was easy to see how one could easily spend an entire day getting lost there - both literately and figuratively, as I got lost more than once on my grand opening visit. It's just that big.
Take a closer look at what it's like to visit Nordstrom NYC, below.