Baton Rouge shoppers now have even more racks to sift through for affordable clothing — specifically the garments and accessories in Nordstrom Rack.
Nordstrom Rack, a division of Nordstrom, offers customers clothing, accessories of well-known brands at marked-down prices and held its grand opening at the Mall Of Louisiana on Thursday.
The store is located at the power center, taking over the unit previously occupied by American Factory Direct Furniture Outlets. The store’s opening was announced in October 2014, and customers were prepared for the early morning opening.
The grand opening began with festivities, including raffles and dance competitions, while the crowd waited in line with complimentary coffee and scones. The raffle included 30 gift cards for $100, and one winner received early access to the store with a $1,000 gift card.
The doors opened at 9 a.m., and as the customers started flooding in, the new employees welcomed them and aided their shopping experience.
Nordstrom Rack spokesperson Jessica Canfield said in an email that Nordstrom Rack chooses its locations for new stores by considering locations where there is high customer demand.
This is the first opening for Nordstrom Rack in Louisiana. Another store opening in Lafayette, Louisiana, is planned for spring 2016.
Many of the customers waiting for the store’s opening have only had the opportunity of shopping at Nordstrom Rack stores online or across state lines.
“I’m very excited. I’ve only been to one Nordstrom Rack in California,” shopper Sheila Payton said.
As fall has just arrived, stores are offering new styles for the cooler weather. Payton said she was at the grand opening to check out new clothes for the fall season.
Canfield said the company is excited for its first Louisiana opening. Nordstrom Rack hopes the customers will let them know what they can improve on to best serve shoppers in the future.
“Mall of Louisiana offers a great mix of retail, entertainment and restaurants and is easily accessible for our customers,” Canfield said. “It’s a great fit for us, and we’re excited to be here.”

Gallery • 13 Photos

Nicholas Martino

Customers shop about Nordstrom Rack as they celebrate their grand opening with live music and giveaways on Thursday, Oct. 01, 2015, at the Mall of Louisiana.