Thursday, February 16, 2006

Nordstrom getting ready to woo Greater Boston shoppers

Donna Goodison
Boston Herald

BOSTON - Upscale fashion retailer Nordstrom is headed for several Massachusetts malls.

The Seattle company is expected to announce today that it's moving into a handful of local malls owned by Simon Property Group Inc., including the Burlington Mall and the Northshore Mall in Peabody.

Nordstrom reportedly will be moving into Macy's and Filene's stores that are being divested by Federated Department Stores Inc.

In addition to the Filene's store in Burlington and the Macy's in Peabody, Federated is divesting a Macy's in the South Shore Plaza in Braintree, another Simon property.

Simon basically had two choices in filling those large spaces, said Tom DeSimone, executive vice president of S. R. Weiner & Associates Inc., a Newton mall and shopping center owner.

"They can find another department store, of which there are very few - Nordstrom being the premier one that isn't around," DeSimone said. "Option two is to break the space up in some fashion and bring in a number of other tenants and a number of other uses."

Nordstrom, meantime, is looking for expansion opportunities at a time when few new regional malls are being built. The company is building a new store as part of the Natick Mall's expansion that's expected to open next year.

Nordstrom did not immediately return calls for comment, and spokespeople for both Simon Property and Federated declined comment.

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