Explaining the Differences Between the Stores: Nordstrom vs Nordstrom Rack

Why write an article about Nordstrom vs Nordstrom Rack? Because after the success of my Nordstrom Anniversary Sale article and the questions readers asked of me, I realized that many people don’t realize the differences between Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. Yes, they are owned by the same company. And there is some overlap between Nordstrom and the Rack. However, at the same time, there are tons of differences.

Difference Between Nordstrom vs Nordstrom Rack

Nordstrom is a national department store that started in 1901 in the Pacific Northwest. It began as a shoe store. It’s still an excellent place to buy shoes. As someone with extra wide feet, I’ve found that, along with Zappos, Nordstrom is one of the best places to buy shoes for wide feet.

Over the years Nordstrom has made a name for itself by offering outstanding customer service. Its staff is well trained, professional and polite. I’ve never had a negative experience shopping at a Nordstrom department store.

What is Nordstrom Rack

This is the description of the store that I found on the Nordstrom Rack website:

“Nordstrom Rack is part of Nordstrom, Inc. and was founded in 1973. Nordstrom Rack is the off-price division of Nordstrom, Inc. offering clearance merchandise from Nordstrom stores as well as items purchased specially for Nordstrom Rack. The store offers significant savings on great brands with most at 30-70% off.”

Nordstrom Rack inventory

Basically, if you’re wondering how often Nordstrom Rack restocks its, well, racks, my research tells me this is occurring daily. Plus, I would imagine, after the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale in the summer, you should expect to see lots more inventory showing up at Nordstrom Rack.

Is the Rack cheaper than Nordstrom?

For what it’s worth, I’ve found plenty of items at Nordstrom Rack that clearly came from a Nordstrom store. I could tell by the price tag. You can see a price tag that started at the Nordstrom department store and has been marked down. They look different from items that originated at Nordstrom Rack.

So, when things from Nordstrom end up at Nordstrom Rack, they are definitely cheaper. You know when items are their cheapest? When they end up at a salvage store, like Marden’s in Maine. There I found bras I’d bought at Nordstrom for close to $100 but were marked down to $15 at Marden’s.

Nordstrom markdowns and sales

There are notable annual or regular sales at Nordstrom stores. This includes both Nordstrom department store and Nordstrom Rack.

As I’ve already mentioned, there is the big Nordstrom Anniversary Sale. It’s every July and lasts for at least two weeks. The Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is one of the best times to save at Nordstrom. That’s because the sale offers discounts on designer names that they hardly markdown.

Also, roughly once a month, Nordstrom Rack will announce a Clear the Rack sale. It’s usually three days long. During Clear the Rack, you can expect to find packed clearance racks with items marked down an extra 25%. You can probably use one of these shopping events to find a sweet spring date outfit (under $25!).

As luck would have it, in July, during the Anniversary Sale, you can expect a Clear the Rack sale to overlap as it has in the past. So if you happen to live near both a Nordstrom department store and Nordstrom Rack, you could check out sales at both places.

Sizes at Nordstrom vs Nordstrom Rack

As far as I can tell, both Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stock plus sizes. For example, when I look on the Nordstrom website for my favorite brand of jeans–NYDJ–I notice that they go up to size 18. Also, if you shop via the top menu on the Nordstrom site, there is a pulldown menu option that says Plus Size clothing.

On the other hand, when I’ve shopped at Nordstrom Rack in person, there is always a dedicated area on the floor for plus sizes. I’ve seen clothing up to size 6X there. In addition, on the Nordstrom Rack website, there is also a pulldown menu that lets you choose plus size clothing for women.

What does Nordstrom have that Nordstrom Rack doesn’t

There are a couple of services and amenities that you can find at a Nordstrom department store location that you won’t find at Nordstrom Rack. For starters Nordstrom Rack stores do not have restaurants. Many Nordstrom department store locations do have restaurants–and the food is surprisingly good.

Wedding services at Nordstrom

Next, some Nordstrom locations have wedding attire. At one time Nordstrom had something called the Wedding Suite, which was like a more traditional bridal salon. However, now that’s all scaled back. Speaking of bridal, if you want to create a Nordstrom wedding registry, you can do that through the service called MyRegistry.com

That being said, you can buy wedding gowns, bridesmaid dresses and mother of the bride clothing at Nordstrom. Sometimes you can find these at Nordstrom Rack, too, but it’s not a given.

Alterations and tailoring

In addition, Nordstrom department stores offer alterations. Nordstrom Rack stores do not for the most part. Some stores do offer tailoring and alterations for items purchased in store or online at Nordstrom Rack. However, it doesn’t spell out which stores offer these services. So, you’ll need to check each store’s website to determine if the one nearest you does offer this service. This article explains everything about alterations at Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack.

Nordstrom Spa

Also, some Nordstrom stores have spas onsite. They are called the Spa at Nordstrom. However, there are only Nordstrom spas in select locations.

They are:

• Arizona
• Connecticut
• Illinois
• Michigan
• New York
• Texas
• Washington State

Here is the store locator for Spa at Nordstrom.

Curbside pickup vs in store pick up

When I first learned about in-store pickup, it was the only option at Nordstrom. Using the app, you let the store know when you’ll be in the parking lot for your order. Once you arrive, you let them know you are there. After that, they come out with your purchase. It’s just like ordering groceries online from a local supermarket.

Nordstrom Rack also has in store pickup, but only at certain store locations. When shopping online, you’ll be able to discover if your local Nordstrom Rack store offers in store pickup. How? It will be one of your options under shipping when you checkout. Unfortunately, Nordstrom Rack does not offer curbside pickup for orders.

Bra fittings

Finally, one of the services Nordstrom is known for is bra fitting. While I have purchased bras at Nordstrom Rack (after being fitted at Nordstrom), I’ve never seen the bra fitting service offered at the Rack.

Shopping online Nordstrom vs Nordstrom Rack

While Nordstrom online and Nordstrom Rack online have different web addresses, in 2021 your accounts likely merged. That is, whatever your login was on the site you used the most, it transitioned to be the login for the other site. This FAQ on the Nordstrom website explains these changes from April 2021.

Nordstrom Rewards program

There is just one rewards program for the entire Nordstrom company. It’s called The Nordy Club. This means that you can earn points for The Nordy Club when shopping at Nordstrom or Nordstrom Rack. You earn points whether you’re shopping in person or online.

It’s easy to make sure you get points for your purchases, especially when shopping in person. You see, your phone number is connected to your Nordy Club account. So once the cashier collects your phone number, then that purchase is applied to your rewards.

My daughters have even shared my phone number when shopping for themselves so that I can get points. I guess that’s fair since I did help pay for college (sarcasm).

Benefits of The Nordy Club

There’s a really informative page on the Nordstrom website that explains the benefits of being a part of The Nordy Club. Also, you may able to shop it early, because of my Nordy Club status.

Anyway, this chart (which I grabbed on that Nordstrom page) shows the different benefits you get through The Nordy Club. You’ll notice that some of these are Nordstrom Rack-exclusive benefits.

Where you can use Nordstrom cards and Nordstrom Notes

Good news: you can use the Nordstrom credit card, Nordstrom Gift Cards and Nordstrom Notes (which you earn via The Nordy Club) at both Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack. Again, these are something you can use for in-person shopping or shopping online.

Nordstrom personal shoppers

Nordstrom department stores offer personal shoppers in the store as well as virtually. On the other hand, as far as I can tell, Nordstrom Rack does not have a personal shopping option.

Stores open or closed on holidays

Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack stores are closed on holidays that some have come to expect to be shopping days instead. As I wrote in this article about stores closed on national holidays, these are the three holidays when Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack are not open:

1. Easter
2. Thanksgiving
3. Christmas

On the other hand, if you’re wondering if Nordstrom is open on New Year’s Day, Labor Day, Memorial Day or July 4th, the answer is yes, the stores are open.

Brands at Nordstrom vs Nordstrom Rack

Since Nordstrom Rack gets a large portion of its stock from Nordstrom department stores, it’s not surprising that both stores sell many of the same brands. However, if you’re searching for a specific brand, I can help. This page on the Nordstrom Rack website lists every single brand the store carries — at least online.

Return policy: Nordstrom vs Nordstrom Rack

One of the reasons I’m a fan of the Nordstrom brand is because of the company’s excellent customer service. This includes the return policy at Nordstrom department stores. Basically, they’ll take back virtually anything you bought at the store. However, the Nordstrom Department store return policy does differ from Nordstrom Rack.

Tags and receipts required

I say tags attached to clothing because there is one caveat to the return policy. And that’s with special occasions and designer clothing. Nordstrom wants to ensure people aren’t wearing something once for an event and then returning it. That’s why they require tags to still be on an item for a return. Also, a receipt is helpful. There is no time limit on returns at department store locations.

This is provided that you still have the attached tags on clothing or something is unopened, such as cosmetics or perfume. Speaking of perfume, here is a Zara perfume dupes list.

Finally, even though Nordstrom doesn’t have a lifetime guarantee, I’ve included the brand in my stories about these kinds of warranties. That’s because I’ve always found that Nordstrom stands behind everything it sells.

Nordstrom Rack returns

Now, Nordstrom Rack returns are a little different. For starters, you have 45 days to make a return at Nordstrom Rack for a full refund. This is true whether the item was purchased online or in store.

Sidebar: you can make Nordstrom Rack returns at Nordstrom department store locations. The opposite is true, too. That is, you can take a Nordstrom purchase back to a Nordstrom Rack store.

If you want to return something after 45 days at Nordstrom Rack, the store may or may not take the item back. If they do, the store says you’ll get a refund equal to 50% of the original price you paid.

Nordstrom Rack categories final sale

At Nordstrom Rack, there are some items that are always a final sale. And that would be beauty products. On the other hand, if you purchase something and it’s marked “Final Sale” or “Non-Returnable,” then don’t even think about trying to return it. You’ve been informed upfront that you cannot.

Nordstrom locations vs Nordstrom Rack locations

Currently, there are 100 Nordstrom department stores and 248 Nordstrom Rack locations in North America. In addition, Nordstrom recently started a local hub version of Nordstrom that is called Nordstrom Local. There are seven of these stores now. You can use this store locator page to find a Nordstrom store near you.