Columnist Muriel Stevens: No answers for changes at Nordstrom

Wednesday, Sept. 26, 2001 | 9:32 a.m.

Muriel Stevens' shopping and travel columns appear Wednesday. Her dining column appears Friday. Reach her at 259-4080 or muriel@lasvegassun.com.

Driving to the opening of the Nordstrom Rack at Silverado Ranch Plaza, at 9851 S. Eastern Ave., I couldn't stop thinking about all of the years I've been shopping at Nordstrom and fantasizing that one day the Seattle company would come to Las Vegas.

The Rack is not, of course, a full-blown Nordstrom. That pleasure will come later when Nordstrom at the Fashion Show opens in 2002.

The Rack would not open until 10 a.m., but I arrived in time to secure a parking place close to the door so I could see the action. At first there wasn't much. Only a few early birds who were taking advantage of the free juice, Krispy Kreme doughnuts and Starbucks coffee being dispensed with a generous hand by a team of polite, perky young people.

Within moments the crowd increased so much that the store decided to open early. With carts, kids, coffee and KK in hand, the store was filled almost to capacity within minutes. Not only with women with and without youngsters, but with men, too.

The crowd around the men's and women's shoe racks made it impossible to see the shoes. Nordstrom has always been a prime source for shoes. The sale selection included many famous designer names. It is on the shoe racks that customers will mostly find the real thing -- shoes with original store tags.

Nordstrom Rack was originally a Nordstrom closeout shop for its own marked-down, seasonal merchandise, and there were only a few Rack stores. Today there are 41, and the concept is a marked departure from the original.

It was evident the last time I visited the Rack in San Diego that times and merchandise had changed. Very little in the stores these days is sale merchandise from Nordstrom stores. How much is "special-purchase values" I can't say. I called Nordstrom in Seattle a number of times, but never did get to speak to the "official spokesperson." No one else is authorized to answer questions from the media.

There's nothing wrong with special-purchase merchandise as long as it's a good value. If consumers do not know the difference between special-purchase and legitimate store markdowns they could be persuaded they're getting the real thing instead of pretenders.

First and foremost, with special-purchase items -- even those with designer names -- it's important to know the differences in quality. Nordstrom Rack has some attractive leather jackets for less than $200, an excellent price. The leather was supple and the color was good. Poorly dyed black leather often has a reddish cast. But I couldn't get close enough to check out the lining and the belts and buttons. Linings especially are a good indication of overall quality.

As a longtime Nordstrom charge customer and fan, I'm disappointed that no one returned my many calls. It makes me wonder why. The messages I left clearly stated what I wanted to know. The people I did speak to, the ones who referred me to others, also knew why I was calling.

Why was there no response to such innocent queries? Only the Nordstrom brass knows.

Happily, something that never changes at any Nordstrom store -- a pleasant staff, eager to please.