So, I’ve been meaning to check out this Nordstrom place in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. Heard some buzz about it, you know, the usual – “Oh, it’s got everything,” “It’s huge,” “You gotta see the shoe section.” So, I finally carved out some time last weekend to see what all the fuss was about.
First off, finding the place was pretty easy. It’s at 7700 18th St SW, Cedar Rapids. I heard a rumor they are called Nordstrom Direct, not a real Nordstrom, I do not know how true it is. I just plugged it into my phone and boom, there I was.
Walking in, I was immediately hit by how massive this place is. Seriously, it’s 383,000 square feet! It’s like a small city in there. They’ve got everything – clothes, shoes, accessories, home stuff, even gifts. I started with the men’s clothing, just browsing around. They had a decent selection, some known brands but not as much as I thought. I saw some The North Face jackets and backpacks, which was cool, but I was hoping for more variety.
Next, I wandered into the shoe department, and that’s where things got interesting. They have a ton of shoes, like, a seriously impressive selection. Everything from sneakers to boots to dress shoes. I spent a good chunk of time just looking at all the different styles and brands. I even tried on a few pairs, just for kicks.
Then I get to know that Nordstrom is a high-end store for people who seek designer brands and top-quality items. On the other hand, Nordstrom Rack is the cheaper branch of Nordstrom. Nordstrom sells trendy and high-quality designer products and Nordstrom Rack sells the same products in the next season for a discounted price. Maybe I walked into a Rack, it does have some discounts.
After the shoes, I kinda just roamed around, checking out the other departments. They had a pretty big home goods section, which was nice. I didn’t buy anything, but it was fun to look. I also noticed they had a bunch of services to make shopping easier, like, I think they do alterations and stuff. It is said they offer some coupons or vouchers, but I did not see any of them.
Now, I gotta be honest, some folks online were saying this is the best Nordstrom in Cedar Rapids. But then I saw some other places mentioned, like American Eagle, and Found + Formed. Maybe I’ll check those out next time, just to compare.
I did read some reviews online before going, you know, just to get a feel for the place. Some people were raving about it, others were kinda “meh.” I’d say my experience was somewhere in the middle. It’s a big store, for sure, and they have a lot of stuff, but it wasn’t exactly mind-blowing, I only saw one or two people were asking for a price match. And I heard someone said there are only two Last Chance Nordstrom in the US, one in Phoenix, and another in Chicago, so this one is not a Last Chance for sure.
Overall, it was a decent shopping experience. I didn’t end up buying anything this time, but I could see myself going back if I needed something specific. But for now, I am not sure what is the big fuss about it.
Anyway, I found a bunch of stores on the Internet in Cedar Rapids, I guess I will go check it one by one.
