LIKE MANY LOCAL shoppers, I am saddened by Nordstrom’s decision to give up on Norfolk and Hampton Roads.
First, some empathy. Retailing in 2019 is a hard business with competitive pressure on multiple fronts. The internet has made it easier than ever to buy exactly what we want, when we want it and Nordstrom, like every other store, has to be agile with their merchandising decisions while providing an experience for customers. Retailers must give us a reason to take the time to leave our houses and visit their stores by offering quality merchandise we don’t see elsewhere else. Be special.
But while Nordstrom consistently delighted us with its customer service, the products offered in this location fell short of customer expectations. Over the years, I’ve talked to many Nordstrom fans and most traveled regularly to other markets to purchase the exceptional goods not readily available in the Norfolk store. Nordstrom’s lack of success in Norfolk seems proportional to its lack of investment in this location.
For the Seattle-based company, lowering price points and carrying average brands may have looked like the correct course for the Norfolk store because the demographics of the 757 don’t rival those of Northern Virginia. But having served the luxury fashion customer as a local retailer for 17 years, I know that we have an underserved market here for high-end specially goods. A case can be made for trading up, and companies that make the effort to understand their customers can win.
Just this week, a story in the Wall Street Journal reported a 9.7 percent increase in comp sales for Foot Locker’s recent quarter, which was achieved by sales of higher price points despite slower traffic. Many shoppers in this area feel that Nordstrom gave up on Norfolk, not the other way around.
So what does this mean to the future of MacArthur Center? Across the country, we see retail experiencing growing pains, with increasing numbers of empty spaces anchoring strip malls, but I don’t think Nordstrom’s failure to commit to this market is a reflection on the potential of downtown Norfolk or MacArthur Center’s long-term sustainability.
Other suburban centers facing these same gloomy headlines don’t have what we have in Norfolk: an attractive and accessible facility at the center of an increasingly bustling downtown where more people are choosing to live, work and play. I regularly meet owners of new businesses who have selected a downtown Norfolk location, giving their employees the benefits of vibrant city life without the hassle and high prices associated with larger metro-areas. Downtown Norfolk is increasingly dynamic and will continue to stay that way because people still want to leave the house, connect with others, and be exposed to new things.
In other cities, malls have replaced traditional department store anchors with entertainment, working spaces and residential uses, redefining our vision for what a mall can be. Currently, MacArthur Center, under Starwood’s leadership, offers many of these solutions and serves as a hub of activity through its robust community partnerships. Go in any day and you might find a fundraiser for the local food bank, a fashion show featuring the Governor’s School of the Arts students or a yoga class. That’s special, and it makes MacArthur Center so much more than a mall.
With Nordstrom leaving, the city has an opportunity to shape the downtown that residents want to see and find a use for the space that fulfills the community’s needs and desires; find tenants who share the vision we have for a creative and energetic downtown.
I have been around Norfolk long enough to know we should never bet against the resiliency and creativity of this community. I’m excited for what comes next.