HENRICO COUNTY, Va. -- The Nordstrom at Short Pump Town Center is among the 16 full-line department stores the chain announced will permanently close.
A spokesperson for Nordstrom confirmed to CBS 6 Thursday afternoon that the company has informed employees that the Short Pump store will be permanently closed.
Officials with the department store provided the following statement:
"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. 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 Richmond. 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.
"We will not reopen these stores to the public and anticipate all 16 of these stores will be closed by August 2020. 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."
Nordstrom stores have been temporarily closed since March 17 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This week has seen grim news for retailers. Neiman Marcus announced Thursday the 112-year-old chain is seeking Chapter 11 bankruptcyprotection. The owner of J.Crew filed for bankruptcyprotection Monday.
Nordstrom was original Short Pump Town Center tenant
Nordstrom was an original tenant and anchor at Short Pump Town Center when the outdoor mall opened in September 2003.
Thomas Pruitt, owner of local development company Pruitt Associates, which owns part of Short Pump Town Center, tells CBS 6 there has been discussions about whether high-end retailer will reopen.
"We haven't heard definitely which way they're [Nordstrom] going," Pruitt said Thursday morning.
“If they decide to leave that's their decision. We have had a great partner with Nordstrom. It's been a great run and we appreciate them being in the mall. We'd love for them to stay. We hope they do stay. But, we haven't heard definitely yet whether they're going to stay or not."
Nordstrom operates 378 stores in 40 states, including 116 full-line stores and 247 discount Nordstrom Rack stores.
Stay with CBS 6 for the latest on this developing story.
