Nordstrom's new men's-only store could be one of its best weapons to defeat the department-store curse — but it may be the only one of its kind

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April 18, 2018 3:44 PM

Nordstrom opened a new men's-only store. Though this may be the only Nordstrom men's store to be built, it could be a model for other retailers.

Co-president Blake Nordstrom told Business Insider that the company never planned to have a separate store for menswear. The decision was made due to the store's space limitations.
However, this store could be a model for others like it in the future.

Nordstrom unveiled its glitzy new Manhattan store on Thursday.

The new location, just south of Central Park, is decked out with high-tech digital ordering and returns systems and in-house services such as tailoring.

But it's not just these perks that make this store notable. It's also because this location is menswear-only — the first of its kind for Nordstrom.

onsiderably smaller than the rest of its full-line stores, which are

But Nordstrom may have unintentionally stumbled across a gold mine. This smaller-scale store, with a size that's comparable to one of the company's off-price stores, Nordstrom Rack, is much less intimidating to shop and could be a prototype for future locations.

Large-scale department stores have increasingly come under pressure as consumer habits evolve, and the concept of shopping a limited assortment of products in smaller stores is growing in popularity.

Digitally native brands such as Bonobos and Everlane are at the forefront of this new style of shopping. These stores don't stock inventory in their so-called "guideshops," but they do allow customers to try on clothing that will be shipped to them after purchase.

Meanwhile, department stores find themselves saddled with large spaces that can sometimes be a drain on resources. Many of these companies, including Macy's and JCPenney, have been forced to close stores.

Kohl's has tried to avoid closing stores by shrinking the size of locations. It has also opened new,

the layout, the sales assistants' expertise, and the in-store services.

In this store, there are shoe-shining stations, on-site tailors to fit suits, and a cocktail bar to break up the shopping experience.

"Nordstrom is doing it the right way,"

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