Delaware's only Nordstrom is closing
The Christiana Mall store is set to shutter next month. At the same time, the luxury retailer is opening more Nordstrom Rack locations, including in Deptford, Exton, Marlton, and Media.
Delaware’s only Nordstrom store is set to close its doors next month.
The Christiana Mall location will shutter on April 30, the company confirmed in an email on Monday. The closure was reported over the weekend by the Delaware News Journal.
“We believe we’ll be best able to serve customers in the area by leveraging our surrounding stores and through our digital channels,” Nordstrom said in a statement.
The two-story, 123,000-square-foot department store opened in the Newark mall 15 years ago. The high-end retailer is one of four anchors alongside J.C. Penney, Macy’s, and Target.
Once Nordstrom closes, the nearest full-price location will be more than 30 miles away at the King of Prussia Mall. The company’s discount counterpart, Nordstrom Rack, operates a store nearby at the Christiana Fashion Center complex in Newark.
In the past year, the company has expanded its off-price footprint, with new Nordstrom Rack stores in Deptford and Marlton in South Jersey.
The retailer has announced plans to open more than a dozen additional locations this year. They include Nordstrom Rack stores in the Main Street at Exton shopping center and at the Promenade at Granite Run in Media.
At the Christiana Mall, Nordstrom said it is “committed to taking care of our employees through this transition, including supporting those who are interested in finding another role within Nordstrom.” It did not say how many people would lose their jobs.
A search of Delaware’s online database of WARN Act notices, which are required in advance of closures and mass layoffs, did not yield any results.
Christiana Mall is billed by its owner, General Growth Properties (GGP), formerly Brookfield Property Partners, as “one of the most productive retail centers in the country.” The developers say that each year 10 million people visit the 1.2-million-square foot “tax-free shopping destination” that is home to more than 140 stores. Delaware has no state or local sales tax.
A GGP spokesperson declined to comment on Nordstrom’s departure and said it was too soon to discuss what’s next for the space.
The news of the closure comes amid an uncertain time for the retail industry.
Some shopping destinations, such as the King of Prussia and Cherry Hill malls, appear to be thriving. Others struggle amid economic uncertainty and increased competition from online retailers. Several local malls are flat-out dead, with some in the process of being resurrected as mixed-use complexes with apartments, restaurants, and entertainment.
Individual retailers have also seen disparate results.
After decades in business, Saks Fifth Avenue in Bala Cynwyd is set to close next month after its parent company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. In another segment of the retail industry, West Chester-based home shopping network QVC Group, according to a Bloomberg report, is considering filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy to reorganize billions in debt.