Why Charlottesville will not get a Nordstrom
Several people have written about and mentioned the desire for a Nordstrom, Neiman Marcus, Lord & Taylor or other high-end, upscale department store to descend upon our little village. We sure have the bucks to shop there, but, I hate to tell you Charlottesville, it’s not going to happen.
Here’s why: to support say, a Nordstrom, the most realistic of the options, the store would need about 300 well-dressed, upscale, educated employees, all willing to work for say, $9 an hour. The store would need those employees to have reliable transportation, and be able to make it to work early during difficult weather months, like December, upon which many retailers hang their proverbial hat. These employees, some of which would only be offered part-time positions, would need to be local, and without a living wage, we all know that employees at that level would have to come “over the mountain.” Not. Gonna. Happen.
Some people outside our community might say, hey, what about all those UVA college students? Don’t they need jobs? Well, no. Not really. Most of them don’t work. They don’t need to. They’re funded in a variety of ways and those that do work, do so during the summer, a summer spent, thankfully, not in Charlottesville. Aside from that, most of them would prefer a non-retail job that pays better than $9, if possible, and hopefully something closer to their field of study. These are smart kids, and often, they can find positions on or near grounds, eliminating transporation needs.
To find employees, Nordstrom would have to steal every last makeup girl from Belk, the well-suited guys at Men’s Wearhouse, and cherry-pick among the boutique employees, many of whom are loyal to employers who are generally, family members. It would be a tough road, and they’d have to pay, at least, $12 an hour.
So it looks like for at least the next 10 years or so we’ll be making the trek to Short Pump. It’s not so bad, really. Road trip, anyone?
July 5th, 2007 at 7:13 am
I have to say, I’m fine with not having a Nordstrom here. Then again, I generally don’t like department stores, nor do I like it when yet another big box retail establishment comes to town. It’s nice having local options.
July 11th, 2007 at 2:56 pm
Um, Nordstrom salespeople make a LOT more than $9.
July 11th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
That’s not so bad- you can always shop online- I know Lord & Taylor has a great selection on their website, and you don’t even have to leave the house!
July 11th, 2007 at 5:00 pm
TM — do tell! I hope so, and I hope it’s not just commission based income. Here in Charlottesville they would need to make at least $20/hour, I think.
July 11th, 2007 at 5:02 pm
Summer, that’s just what we C’villians do: shop online. Lots. But once in awhile, it’s nice to be able to try something on, or get something immediately.