Nordstrom opens Ward shoe store
By Dan Nakaso
Advertiser Staff Writer
Nordstrom Inc. unveils its shoe store today at Ward Centre in a move that opens up room at Ala Moana Center for a high-end fashion accessory boutique and a furniture store where Nordstrom's shoe stores used to be.
Richard Ambo • The Honolulu Advertiser
Nordstrom's, 17,000-square-foot store opening next to Kakaako Kitchen combines the men's, women's and children's inventory that had been divided between Nordstrom's two Ala Moana sites, which were across from one another near the center of the mall.
Nordstrom Inc.'s 17,000-square-foot store at Ward Centre sells shoes for men, women and children. Its employees are from two Ala Moana stores that are closing. New tenants at Ala Moana will be Hermes and Z Interiors.
The new store will employ about 35 people, most of them from the former locations.
"Our lease was up at Ala Moana and opening our store at Ward Centre gave us a chance to combine our stores and offer Honolulu customers a better shopping experience," said Deniz Anders, a Nordstrom spokeswoman from the company's Seattle headquarters. "It's obviously a great chance for us."
Hermes, known for high-quality accessories, later this year or early next will move into the 8,000-square-foot spot formerly occupied by Nordstrom's men's shoe store, said Dwight Yoshimura, general manager of Ala Moana.
Hermes and Ala Moana negotiated a long-term lease, said Yoshimura, who declined to provide details.
Later this month, Z Interiors will move into the 14,000-square-foot site at Ala Moana formerly occupied by Nordstrom's women's and children's shoe store, said Linda Cezar, division manager for Furnitureland and Z Interiors.
Z Interiors' lease runs through Jan. 31, Cezar said. Z Interiors will then move to a permanent location outside of Ala Moana Center but still in town.
"We've been working on this other location for quite a while and it's just not ready yet," Cezar said. "This was an excellent opportunity to work with Ala Moana shopping center."
The new Z Interiors will augment the company's first store at Salt Lake, Cezar said, and carry slightly different inventory.
Nordstrom was founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle. But as of today, there will only be one free-standing shoe store — at Ward Centre. In all, Nordstrom has 136 stores in 26 states.
Reach Dan Nakaso at dnakaso@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8085.
