Nordstrom's Grand Opening

Written by KGMB9 News - news@kgmb9.com

March 07, 2008 04:21 PM

It's the day many in Hawaii have been waiting for. At 9:30 Friday morning, Nordstrom and 16 other retailers opened there doors to crowds of excited shoppers. Shoppers started lining up at 4 a.m. for the pre-opening cosmetic tailgate party and they came from all over just to be here for the Hawaii opening. "We don't have Nordstrom in Japan, and it's going to be exciting, so, I just get the one break off from my job, so exciting," said Naomi Fujikawa, of Hiroshima, Japan. Some signed up for Nordstrom credit cards, others did some early bird shopping. A Seattle woman spent 300 bucks with her sister before the doors even opened. "I flew in from Seattle last night and I'm here to shop and go home on Sunday," said Cindy Gillmore, Seattle. The Nordstrom family was there for Nordstrom's first-ever blessing, and as the anticipation rose and Maile untied, one woman was treated for fainting. And finally shoppers poured in. "Clapped as you walked in. Made you feel so welcome, you know," said Norma Herlocker, of Napa, California. "We've opened a lot of stores, as you know. And you never can presume that's going to go like this. Everyone has their fingers crossed and when we opened the doors and to see this kind of response and everyone show up with this kind of enthusiasm, they had to embrace us in the community. It's really wonderful," said Peter Nordstom, President of Merchandise. And when it came down to buying, some of those enthusiastic shoppers didn't know where to begin. "It's just a little too much. It's system overload. I don't even know where to look and where to begin, so it's just a little overwhelming," said Laura Yanagimoto, Honolulu. "He didn't just bring out the shoe I asked for, he brought out a wide selection that were similar. So, I have a lot of options and now I know what my size is. Sold!," said Wendy Humphrey, Hawaii Kai. A reaction Nordstrom staff hope they'll hear time and time again.

Last Updated ( March 07, 2008 04:21 PM )