There are two interesting developments that Nordstrom is trying right now: first, they’re remodeling and fancying up their stores in Seattle, Chicago, and San Francisco, seeking to draw international tourists with world-class retail experiences. They’re also experimenting with curbside order pickup, so local shoppers can pick up their online order of bras without getting out of their cars.

These trends make sense: while people might shop online for their own mundane purchases, while on vacation they might visit a department store that they don’t have at home. They’re shopping for recreation or for an experience rather than Nordstrom wants to attract people visiting these three cities from all over the world, and more importantly keep them in the building for long enough to buy some stuff.

Two floors of the Seattle store have already been remodeled, and reporters got to tour the new space. There’s more natural light, and also a new cocktail and tapas bar and a cafe. The Seattle store will also be about 20,000 feet bigger than it was before the remodel, and renovations of the other floors will be done next spring. People probably won’t travel from all over the world just to see these stores, but they hope that tourists might stop in to shop.

Nordstrom aims high with downtown flagship remodel [Seattle Times]

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