Liquidation sales at Nordstrom in Vancouver begin but some disappointed by discounts

Nordstrom in Vancouver began liquidating its stock Tuesday, joining other stores across the country.

Furniture, fixtures and equipment are up for sale, alongside most of Nordstrom’s merchandise.

However, goods from third parties will not be part of the sale because they were removed from stores over the weekend.

But some of the deals may not be as beneficial as shoppers were hoping.

One shopper told Global News she was disappointed to see only five per cent off and left the store empty-handed.

Steven Collins went to the Nordstrom Rack location in Langley and said it was busy.

He saw some shoes a few weeks ago and thought he would return today to take a look at a discounted price.

“Five per cent wasn’t a big discount,” he said. “Just about every rack I looked at, a five per cent discount. It’s not a lot in this world.”

4:57 How Nordstrom’s departure will impact Canada’s retail landscape

Retail experts say liquidation sales often start with a low percentage off the more desirable merchandise and then the discounts become bigger as stock is depleted.

Earlier this month Nordstrom announced it will close six department stores and seven Nordstrom Rack shops by late June, cutting 2,500 jobs.

Retail expert Bruce Winder said he thinks Nordstrom really overestimated how big the Canadian luxury market is.

“It gives Canada a bit of a black eye in terms of our retail sector but retail isn’t going anywhere,” he said. “It’s just changing, there’s ebbs and flows.”

Nordstrom required court approval to liquidate because it is winding down its Canadian operations under the Companies’ Creditors Arrangement Act, which helps insolvent businesses restructure or end operations in an orderly fashion.