Nordstrom to move out of 7th Ave. office tower in downtown Seattle
SEATTLE - Following a tough year for local and national businesses, many have faced the brutal impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, including Seattle-based retailer, Nordstrom.
The company has decided to leave its offices on 7th Ave. and Olive Way in downtown Seattle where it occupies a large portion of the 24-story tower.
In a statement to Q13 News, a spokesperson for the company said:
"COVID-19 has prompted us to rethink how we work and pushed us to learn how to effectively manage a remote corporate workforce while still meeting the needs of our customers and maintaining our corporate culture. As we think about returning to our corporate offices later this year, we find ourselves with the rare opportunity to reimagine how these teams will work and collaborate in the future.
"While health and safety are at the forefront of our planning, we’re also considering the personal preferences of our employees and the needs of our business. While we will not be a fully remote headquarters, it’s clear remote work can and should continue to play a part in how we operate. We need to evolve our physical workspaces to allow for this new dynamic, and that includes ensuring we have the right mix of office space to meet our needs.
"As part of that evolution, we’ve made the decision not to extend the lease on our office space at 1700 7th Avenue. Instead, we’ll focus on leveraging our other 700,000 square feet of office space at our two corporate office buildings in the Downtown Seattle retail core. We’ll also continue to serve customers through our two Downtown Seattle stores, including our Flagship store.
"Seattle has been our home since 1901 and our commitment to the city, community and people isn’t changing. 2020 was a challenging year for cities across the country, and Seattle was no exception. Through investments of our own and partnerships with organizations like the Downtown Seattle Association, we’re committed to helping Seattle recover from the impacts of the pandemic and we remain optimistic about the future of the city."
In May of 2020, Nordstrom said it planned to permanently close 16 of its 116 full-line stores as it adjusts to the retail environment during the coronavirus outbreak.
CEO Erik Nordstrom said at the time that COVID-19 was causing the Seattle-based company to speed up digital services and implementation of things like curbside pickup and returns.
Prior to the pandemic, the retailer had been shuttering under-performing stores at the rate of two a year as it struggled against competition from online retailers and discount brick-and-mortar stores as well as the decreasing popularity of malls.