Nordstrom to Shutter Southern California Store in August

The luxury department store’s closure adds to the woes of Santa Monica’s downtown shopping core.

Santa Monica's Third Street Promenade at night. Courtesy of the Santa Monica Coalition

Nordstrom will close its Santa Monica, California, location next month after 15 years, dealing another blow to an already struggling shopping core in the coastal city, the luxury department store chain confirmed on July 1.

“The store’s last day of business will be Aug. 26,” a Nordstrom spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an email.

The company said it believes it will be best able to serve its customers in the area with surrounding locations and online.

“Decisions like this are never easy, and we understand the impact they have on our team members,” the spokesperson said. “We’re committed to taking care of our employees through this transition, including supporting those who are interested in finding another role within Nordstrom.”

The store’s 122,000-square-foot store opened in the Santa Monica Place mall in 2010.

In May, two other retailers—True Food Kitchen and luxury skincare retailer Aesop—also announced their intentions to close at the mall.

True Food Kitchen told customers on its website that the decision was difficult.

“After 14 wonderful years of serving you, we’ve made the difficult decision to close the doors to our Santa Monica restaurant,” the company posted on its website, directing diners to one of its nearby restaurants in Century City, El Segundo, or Pasadena.

Aesop closed on May 26 but opened a new location on Montana Avenue in the city, according to its website.

Bloomingdale’s and ArcLight Cinemas also vacated space at the mall in 2021.

The recent store closures add to the struggles facing management at Santa Monica Place, located near the beach in the downtown area.

The 45-year-old mall underwent a $265 million renovation in 2007 but is adjacent to Third Street Promenade, where locals say a growing homeless population has scared some shoppers away.

Santa Monica Pier in Santa Monica, Calif., on Jan. 19, 2023. John Fredricks/The Epoch Times

According to research by the Santa Monica Coalition—a group of residents, business owners, and locals—86 percent of residents don’t visit the downtown restaurants or stores because of the current atmosphere.

“They don’t come to downtown to shop or dine because they don’t feel safe strolling the streets or parking,” John Alle, a real estate expert and co-founder of the coalition, told The Epoch Times in May.

Commercial real estate management and investment firm Prism Places took over as property manager of Santa Monica Place in April. The 527,000-square-foot retail center fell into receivership after the Macerich Company surrendered the mall to its lender. The company defaulted on a $300 million loan in June 2024, according to the Real Deal, a real estate industry publication.

Morningstar reported that the mall’s value has declined by nearly 60 percent, according to the Santa Monica Mirror.

City leaders approved a plan in May to allow Third Street Promenade visitors to drink alcohol outdoors as a way to draw more people to its shops and restaurants.

Yoga instructor Vee Gomez leads a beach yoga class on an overcast evening to celebrate International Yoga Day, which is also the summer solstice, at Santa Monica beach on June 21, 2018. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images

The controversial plan is a way to revitalize the city core, according to Mayor Lana Negrete.

“We’re trying to bring back the promenade,” Negrete told The Epoch Times in May. “We’re trying to create a destination where you eat, you shop, you plan to visit, and you do something unique.”

Despite the closures, a few new entertainment venues have opened in the downtown area, including Outlandish Digital, a TikTok content studio specializing in bringing creators’ visions to life.

The Santa Monica Chamber of Commerce did not return a request for comment about the Nordstrom closure.