Reader Leila Hainline phoned recently to express her disappointment with two matters. First, that Nordstrom had closed its only two Inland Empire stores, in Montclair and Riverside. Second, that the news had not appeared in my column.
“We have no other shops like that. And you haven’t written one word,” Hainline chided. “We don’t have another elite-type store. Macy’s doesn’t qualify in our area. That’s my gripe. I’ve been waiting for you to write about it.”
I must not have felt elite enough.
Nordstrom’s closing was in our newspaper back in May, of course. To my knowledge the stores, which were only doing curbside pickup due to the pandemic, never reopened. With no chance to visit a closeout sale, talk to customers and say goodbye, not to mention score some deals, there seemed to be nothing for me to add.
Personally I had only shopped at the Montclair store once or twice. Nordstrom was a bit above my station in life. I mean, a man in a suit played a grand piano to provide background music for shoppers. (That was Brian Shyer; I’ve since met him.)
I bought a shirt and tie on that visit, back when this newspaper had a dress code and I was building a wardrobe from scratch. A cubicle mate razzed me about that excursion for months. “Dave’s a Nordstrom shopper,” she would tease me, as if I were there on a regular basis.
I returned once, I think, and that’s the extent of my Nordstrom knowledge. But Hainline made a good case for the significance of Nordstrom’s end. Its arrival was a big deal in both cities. Its demise ought to be as well.
On social media I asked for comments from anyone who missed either the Montclair or Riverside store. Many of you did.
“Once a year I’d march into Nordstrom and pay full retail on something and it was always high quality and seemed worth it,” Ed Dunkle said.
“The only decent place to buy shoes for men in the IE, also ties, cufflinks and high-end gear in general,” Jan Taylor said.
“They were the best,” said Twitter user SoCal Football. “You buy a suit or shirt at Nordstrom, you knew that thing was gonna fit right and last a long time.”
“I loved Nordstrom. The only store at which I enjoyed purchasing clothes,” Rose Davidson said.
The Riverside store was an anchor at the Galleria at Tyler. I dropped by last week after an interview in the area.
The name is gone from the exterior but the ghost letters are lightly visible. Signs at the entrance direct people to Brea and to Nordstrom Rack stores in Riverside, Ontario and Chino. (There’s also one in Upland.) Roll-up doors inside the entrances are closed, blocking any view inside. It’s the same in Montclair.
“I worked at the Riverside Nordstrom for 10 years. Hard to believe it’s closed. It was a great job and a great group of employees!” Kathryn Myers said.
Christia Gibbons, a former editor of mine, said: “I once got a ‘Thank you’ note from the Riverside Nordy. Many happy hours spent there (much to hubby’s despair…)”
“I was actually a member of Nordstrom’s reward club. Won’t be using that anymore,” said Cassie MacDuff. (Nice to hear from my predecessor as P-E columnist.)
The Riverside store opened in 1991. Council members weren’t happy about the abrupt closing, formally asking Nordstrom corporate for a meeting to talk about it, and getting a hard no. So much for customer service.
Montclair’s store arrived in 1985 when Montclair Plaza was expanded.
“I just remember it definitely took Montclair Plaza up a notch,” Ethan Harp said. “We had The Broadway, J.C. Penney and May Co. as the anchor stores there while I was growing up.”
Hal Fredericksen was city planner when the store was built.
“It was a great source of pride for Montclair, for both the Montclair community and for we who had a part in the mall expansion,” Fredericksen recalled.
The mall, now Montclair Place, has been ailing in recent years while struggling to reinvent itself. Just as an AMC Theatre is under construction, in 2020 the mall has lost two of its five anchors, Nordstrom and Sears.
“Their closing is a huge loss to the mall in my opinion,” said Cindy Moore.
“Spent at least two days a week in Nordstrom and met friends for lunch one day a week,” Marilee Weiss said. “Too bad. Sign of the times. Horrible loss of jobs and local prestige.”
Many singled out the Nordstrom Cafe for praise.
“To me, the worst loss is the wonderful restaurant onsite,” Mike Guerin said. “This hidden gem had quality food and excellent servers. I will miss their smiles and the wonderful tomato basil soup.”
“Spent every Boxing Day with my Mom, her best friend Shirley and my sisters in the cafe talking about our Christmas. Wonderful memories,” Theresa Dufresne said.
As a girl, Carly Owens met her grandma there for lunch. Any meals there as an adult, she said, came with “a side of nostalgia.”
Pomona resident Megan Gearhart hails from Seattle, where Nordstrom began as a shoe store. She liked the Montclair store and its cafe: “The coffee tasted like home.”
Laura Turnbull delighted in lunches at the Montclair cafe with her daughter, Alexis. “Champagne cake dessert. California grill sandwich,” Laura said.
Alexis chimed in that when the California grill was dropped from the menu, she lost faith. “Maybe they would be open today if they still sold that sandwich,” she declared.
Forget Riverside officials, maybe Nordstrom should meet with the Turnbulls.
Some Nordstrom fans said the Inland Empire stores were always stepchildren in the chain, “small and poorly stocked” compared to Brea and Costa Mesa (Leslie James), with drops in recent years in level of service (Nancy Zafuto) and selection (Karen Rosenthal).
Still, though, it was Nordstrom, a step above Macy’s and several steps above Target and Walmart.
“The whole store was a class act,” Jennifer Bierschbach said.
And now, the Inland Empire has lost a little class. So long, Nordy.
David Allen doesn’t help matters by writing Wednesday, Friday and Sunday. Email dallen@scng.com, phone 909-483-9339, visit insidesocal.com/davidallen, like davidallencolumnist on Facebook and follow @davidallen909 on Twitter.