Nordstrom Rack Launches Stand-alone Website

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Nordstrom has finally opened a standalone e-commerce site for its expanding Nordstrom Rack empire.

The site is powered by the Nordstrom's flash business, HauteLook and shares a lot of similar features: customers can shop for continuous Nordstrom merchandise at 30 to 70 percent off, or sift through the site's flash-sale items discounted for a limited time. Once customers log in, items can be added to shopping carts from both Nordstrom Rack and HauteLook. The site offers free shipping for items over $100, and returns can be made for 90 days through mailing or at any local Nordstrom Rack stores.

The site is being run out of LA, by the same folks who aggregate HauteLook, and President of Nordstrom Direct Jamie Nordstrom told Geekwire this week the site will eventually include a feature which lets customers know which online merchandise is available at local stores. Right now, the site has an impressive collection of discount dresses from lines like Alice + Olivia, Herve Leger, and Eileen Fischer, as well as shoes from Brian Atwood, Derek Lam, and Stuart Weitzman.

Nordstrom said the site is trying to compete with Gilt, and every other e-tailer out there.

"I think the competition is the Internet. You can buy merchandise that we sell in lots of places. We are focused on creating valuable experiences for customers," he said, noting other features will be added to the site as time goes on. "We do believe it's a large business with large demand. We don't know exactly how it will evolve, but we have a team in LA that's really talented, and we are excited about the different opportunity."

· Nordstrom Rack [Official Site]
· Interview: Jamie Nordstrom chats about the Rack finally going digital, 25 years later [GeekWire]
· Beyond Flash: Hautelook's Founder on a New Way to Shop Sale [Racked]
· Nordstrom Is Interested In Opening HauteLook Stores [Racked]