Slim pickings as Vancouver’s Nordstrom prepares for final day of sales Tuesday

Shoppers hoping to score a deal have one more day to find that perfect bargain at Vancouver’s Nordstrom department store.

The U.S.-based retailer’s court-ordered liquidation sale ends Tuesday, but shoppers Global News spoke with said the pickings are getting slim.

2:13 Shoppers disappointed by discounts as liquidation begins at Canadian Nordstrom stores

“It’s pretty empty. The first floor is pretty much cleared out and all the furniture is on the second floor. (The) third floor you can’t even get to anymore,” Jarryd Jäger said Monday.

“I don’t know how they’re going to clear it all out in the last day, might have to start giving it away.”

Nordstrom first occupied the 200,000-square-foot Pacific Centre location in 2015, as the high-end Seattle retailer expanded to Canada.

In March, the company announced plans to close all of its six Nordstrom and seven Nordstrom Rack locations in Canada, cutting some 2,500 jobs in the process.

According to CEO Erik Nordstrom at the time, the move came after reviews determined no “realistic path to profitability for the Canadian business.”

Liquidation sales began at the Vancouver store in late March and drew initial criticism over discounts of just five per cent.

However, in the weeks that followed, and as inventory dwindled, the company significantly ratcheted up the price drops.

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

Rozita Bonacher told Global News she scored shoes for her entire family at deep discounts, including picking up one pair initially priced at $1,100 for just over $200.

“I’ve been so sad. I love this store,” she said.

“It’s not good for Vancouver because we lose a very good department store. And Vancouver needs this kind of store.”

Tamar Austin said she was able to scoop some pricey high-end foundation at more than 50 per cent off.

“I know that their first sale was disappointing to a lot of people, so it’s great I was able to grab a deal now,” she said.

“There’s basically nothing left, and it’s a little sad because I used to work retail and I know a lot of people are out of a job.  I don’t really know how that transition was handled for them, especially with inflation and cost of living increasing and living in Vancouver being super expensive. So, I have a lot of empathy for people who lost their jobs.”

With sales wrapping up Tuesday, all eyes now turn to the future of the iconic real estate, previously occupied by failed retail giants Eatons and Sears.

2:09 How will the Nordstrom closure impact downtown Vancouver?

Experts have told Global News the massive storefront could end up being subdivided into several smaller retail outlets.

Vancouver City Councillor Sarah Kirby-Yung said it was in the best interests of site owner Cadillac Fairview, the city and nearby downtown businesses to see the location filled quickly.

She said the site could work for anything from a food fair like New York’s popular Eataly to a hub for the city’s growing tech sector.

“It’s a prime location adjacent to entertainment and retail uses,” she said.

“Vancouver has a thriving tech sector, they desperately need large tech campuses. That would be fantastic too, to have a number of workers to add life and energy to Granville Street as well during the daytime.”

In the meantime, shoppers have one last chance to browse for bargains — though they may need to hustle if they want to find anything left on the shelves.