Nordstrom focuses on special features for new downtown store

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SALT LAKE CITY — Standing on the southwest corner of West Temple and South Temple, the familiar large brown lettering can be seen spelling out the iconic name renowned in retail circles — Nordstrom. For 26 years, that name was a staple of Main Street shopping located in the now defunct Crossroads Mall.

Today, with the development of City Creek Center, it is making a comeback as one of two anchor tenants at the city's $1.5 billion shopping and living locale.

Nordstrom this week will unveil its new 125,000-square-foot, two-story store located on the west side of the City Creek project. While the exhilaration of debuting a new store in a landmark development is exciting, making a successful return will require meeting lofty standards, said Nordstrom City Creek Center store manager Linda Hostetler.

"We hope that we can deliver that service that (our customers) are expecting from us," she said. "That's our number one goal."

The new location will feature a number of unique touches that are meant to display the rich history of downtown Salt Lake City, including archival photos and artwork created by local artisans. In addition, the store's layout incorporates several new design features intended to enhance the overall experience for shoppers and their families.

"We've created large dressing rooms called 'girlfriend' dressing rooms that enables larger groups of women to try on clothing together," said Nordstrom spokesman John Bailey. The store also includes a children's area featuring a 200-gallon aquarium and an interactive playhouse that engages kids as their parents shop as well as a new concept restaurant called Sixth & Pine — "a diner with the heart of a deli."

The eatery's name pays homage to the address of the flagship Nordstrom store located at the intersection of the same name in downtown Seattle. The new store will also utilize the latest technology to help expedite shopping.

Sales associates will use iPhones and iPads equipped with software that will allow customers to make purchases anywhere in the store and search for inventory items, reducing the number of traditional cash registers throughout the space. 

"We opened our first store here in 1980," he said. "We feel so fortunate to have customers in the Salt Lake community. We're glad to be back!" Bailey said.

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