CHANDLER, AZ — Nordstrom confirmed Friday morning that it would permanently close its retail store at Chandler Fashion Center mall because of the economic impacts linked to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Earlier this week, Nordstrom said in a blog post that it would close 16 of its retail stores, but did not release specific locations at the time. Now, we have learned that one of those stores is in Arizona.
"Our goal is to best position ourselves to serve customers in each market where we operate. Because of the impacts COVID-19 has had on our business, we need to take a critical look at the physical footprint of our stores to determine which we will continue to operate," Nordstrom said in a statement.
"To respond to the impacts of COVID-19 and ensure we’re able to continue serving customers well into the future, we will be closing 16 of our fleet of full-line stores, including Nordstrom Chandler Fashion Center. We selected these 16 stores based on a variety of factors, including the unique needs of the market, the current state of our business and real estate agreements.
Nordstrom said it expects the 16 stores to be fully closed by August.
"These types of decisions are never easy because we realize what this means for our employees. We’re committed to taking care of them as best we can, including providing support and resources through this transition," the retail company said.
Nordstrom has another retail store at Scottsdale Fashion Square, as well as Nordstrom Rack and Last Chance locations in the Valley.
A spokesperson for Macerich, which owns and manages Chandler Fashion Center and other malls in Arizona, did not respond to ABC15's request for comment.
Nordstrom marks the second major retail anchor to close at the mall. Unrelated to the COVID-19 pandemic, Sears, which had its own economic issues, closed its two-level store at the mall in recent years. The upper level of that space is now set to become Harkins Backlot, an entertainment venue with bowling, laser tag, restaurant, and bar, according to documents filed with the city. It is not known when Harkins Backlot could open (Harkins has not responded to our inquiries nor released any official about the project).
Related: Harkins planning to open multi-entertainment venue at Chandler Fashion Center
