Afraid of looting and vandalism, Nordstrom has boarded up The Rack in Anchorage and sent workers home.
The move at the Midtown Mall came after riots in Seattle and elsewhere caused extensive damage to Nordstrom stores. The protest that took place on Saturday in the parking lot near the Anchorage Nordstrom Rack was peaceful, in contrast to extensive damage to the Nordstrom store in Seattle.
“We continue to be heartbroken by the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and too many others, and the deep pain and division we’re seeing across the country,” Nordstrom wrote.
“Our priority is always the health and well-being of our employees, customers and communities. To help keep everyone safe, we made the decision to temporarily close our stores yesterday. Some of our stores were impacted by gatherings in our cities this weekend, and we wanted to take the time to assess the damage, repair and reopen those stores so we can continue serving customers as soon as possible. The situation is evolving quickly, and we encourage you to check our website for the most up-to-date information on your store’s hours.”
“Thankfully, none of our employees were injured in these events, and we’re communicating regularly with all of them on the actions we’re taking and the ways we will continue to support them. We’ll also pay employees for any shifts they may have missed as a result of these unexpected closures. We’ve heard from so many employees asking for ways they can help, and we’re working to connect them to the nonprofits in their communities that are providing valuable resources, information and support in these difficult times.”
“The events of this weekend are one more painful reminder that injustice remains in our world. We can fix the damage to our stores. Windows and merchandise can be replaced. We continue to believe as strongly as ever that tremendous change is needed to address the issues facing Black people in our country today. We strive to be a positive force for change in every community we serve.”
The main Nordstrom store in Anchorage closed in the fall of 2019 as the economy grew dimmer in Alaska and the store suffered headwinds driven by shopper preferences moving to online stores.
