After announcing the closure of all Canadian Nordstrom locations earlier this month, it was only a matter of time before liquidation sales would begin. They’re coming sooner than expected — the Ontario Superior Court of Justice gave the U.S.-based fashion retailer permission to liquidate its merchandise on Monday. A spokesperson for Nordstrom Canada confirmed in an email to Streets of Toronto that the company will begin sales right away, starting Tuesday.
The company is planning to wind down sales by June of this year. Gift cards will be honoured until the end of the department store’s liquidation for in-store purchases. While major sales can be expected, the retailer’s spokesperson could not confirm what kinds of discounts will be available.
Nordstrom announced that it will be shutting down all Canadian stores on March 2, including five Toronto locations. Launching in Canada in 2014, the store closures will result in an estimated job loss of 2,500 employees.
Nordstrom has 13 locations in Canada, including six flagship locations and seven discounted Nordstrom Rack stores. Their Toronto and GTA locations currently occupy space at Sherway Gardens, CF Toronto Eaton Centre and Yorkdale Shopping Centre, with Nordstrom Rack locations on Bloor Street and Vaughan Mills.
Nordstrom first came to Canada with a Calgary store in 2014, but quickly expanded to Ottawa and Vancouver. The flagship Toronto store at the Eaton Centre opened in 2016, and a Yorkdale store opened just a month later, followed by the two-level, 140,000 square foot Sherway Gardens location in 2017.
In court filings, Nordstrom stated that their operation has lost money every single year.
“We entered Canada in 2014 with a plan to build and sustain a long-term business there. Despite our best efforts, we do not see a realistic path to profitability for the Canadian business,” said chief executive officer Erik Nordstrom in a public statement.
Nordstrom is one of many department store chains that have shut down in Canada. Bed Bath & Beyond announced just a few weeks ago that it would halt all Canadian proceedings, which included 65 locations.