Nordstrom

Bra fitting… OK it took me a while do this… At the Milwaukee Mayfair store… ask for Genelle… What an easy, graceful, cool experience…

I keep trying. You have to give me that.
Yesterday I went with a young friend to shop at the men’s store. We started in shoes. There were three clerks and one customer in the department. I went directly to the pair of shoes I wanted to buy and my friend went hunting for a style he wanted. After a few minutes, the one clerk who was already helping a customer asked if we wanted help or were just looking. In my experiences with Nordstrom everywhere else, this is NOT the question one is asked. You get offered help, directed to another clerk, shown merchandize and alternatives. We bought four pair of shoes and headed to men’s furnishings to look at gloves. There were two clerks and no other customers. We were shown to the gloves we wanted to see and the clerk just left. My young friend seriously didn’t know what to make of it. He asked, «Is she coming back? Are we on our own now?» We approached the counter to buy a pair of gloves from the other clerk and, as we approached, he turned around and picked up the phone to make a call.
I carried the gloves into the next department. There I asked if they sold made to measure shirts. The entire answer to my question was, «Yes.» When I asked if he could help me and if he had sold these before, he assured me he had in a tone that suggested that I had just asked if he washed his hands after going to the bathroom. We then went to young men’s department where my friend found a coat with a type of fabric he was interested in, but not in that style of color. We were again the only people in that department. A young woman went by us twice without asking if we wanted help. I tracked her down and asked for help. She looked at the coat and assured us that there were none in that fabric in any color, but more might come in later. She directed us to look at winter coats on sale. These were generally pretty ho-​hum and looked like Kohl’s stock.
Next to men’s sports wear. We browsed for 25 minutes and wanted to try some things on. The three clerks at the counter directed us to a dressing room, and when my friend selected two items for purchase, one clerk asked if he was ready to check out.
My head exploded and I headed to the first floor service desk asking for the store manager. I reported the above in even greater detail. I invited him to look around the floor and if he could spot even two more customers besides ourselves. I pointed to our pile of purchases and told him of the work we put into making these, even cheering on the clerks who provided minimal service (To be fair, Sue in Men’s Wear did a good job after being initially scattered). I also asked him if clerks at Nordstrom generally asked if you were ready to check out. He looked momentarily confused. In my experiences in their other stores, sales clerks SELL, they don’t just check out.
We went back to young men’s department where Charlie waited on us. While my friend tried on a sweater, Charlie struck up a conversation and I told him that in Seattle, a clerk would bring in three or four other items to try on while someone was in a dressing room. He said he could do that. We ended up with a couple of pair of pants, a sweater, a scarf, and the jacket the other clerk there said did not exist an hour earlier.
I would seriously recommend that this store get two or three top sellers from Seattle here pronto to train staff on what to do. These are perfectly nice people. They just don’t know what to do because they have never seen good service in Milwaukee.

I was so excited to finally have a full line Nordstrom in Wisconsin. I drove two hours just to do some holiday shopping yesterday and arrived around 5 pm. When I get there, I walk straight into the Top shop section. As I browse, I notice the girl at the cash wrap acknowledged my presence but yet didn’t bother to even greet me. I proceeded to walk the floor and 2 other female employees notice I was browsing and also didn’t greet me, but decided to greet someone else. I find this so disappointing considering I had just opened a Nordstrom account on my last visit to a Nordstrom location. I was very much willing to buy all my holiday gifts at this location. Unfortunately, I was so disappointed on no assistance after direct eye contact with THREE Nordstrom employees that I left the mall! I will not be going back to this location.

Finally! A real department store in Milwaukee!!! We haven’t had that since Gimbel’s left and Macy’s is not even in the same league as Nordstrom. Great selection, quality brand names, great service! So exciting!!!

LOVE Nordstrom! It’s my favorite store. My family and I moved from the Boston area @ a year and a half ago where there were 4 Nordstrom stores within driving distance. It was explained to me that Nordstrom has Level A, B and C stores. When you’ve frequented their various stores, you can tell the difference based on brand selection amongst other things; hence, the difference between the new MIlwaukee store and Chicago’s MIchigan Avenue store. Milwaukee is not Chicago or even Skokie.
Having said that, Nordstrom is a major upgrade from anything else I’ve found here. Honestly, my biggest complaint about the Nordstrom in Wauwatosa is that they chose Mayfair as its location. When I originally arrived to Milwaukee, everyone told me that Mayfair was the best place for shopping. Based on the store selection, perhaps it was, but from the moment I learned that Mayfair was where Nordstrom was going, I felt it was a mistake. The store doesn’t belong there, and I feel that this location has dictated the lack of brand selection of which so many people are complaining. Still, I would rather have the store that’s here than no store at all.
I should clarify that I’ve only frequented the Tosa store once on its opening day, and it was crazy busy so I didn’t have the opportunity to get a good feel for it. I will be attending their Holiday Shopping Event next weekend so I’ll have the opportunity to get a better feel for the store. In any case, I’m stoked it’s here. It’s not always convenient to drive to Skokie or Chicago so I’m extremely happy to have a store in Milwaukee. Their customer service is amazing, and if you’re looking for something specific that this store doesn’t carry, they will order it for you.

i love reading Unilocal reviews. so, before writing this one, i scanned the handful already on here.
honestly, i was surprised to see some of the negative reviews.
people complaining about inventory, offering, etc.
here was my experience…
i visited the store looking for a canada goose about a week ago. after deciding to wait, my impatience kicked in and i called and ordered one through the store (talking to Rob). they squeezed me in before closing and took my order.
being as selfish as i am, i quickly wanted it even sooner (and more so, regretted not purchasing it immediately when i was in the store — note: i ended up needing to order because the one i wanted was sold since they had low inventory of the carson model). after talking with a few people (who honestly weren’t super helpful), Rob intervened, the gentleman who originally took my order.
Rob drove down to the oakbrook store (2.5 hour drive on a good day) and brought the jacket up so i wouldn’t have to wait until next week for shipping. mind blowing, right?
so, was i disappointed about low inventory of certain things? of course. does it replace oak street in chicago? of course not.
but, here’s the thing. milwaukee isn’t chicago. if you want chicago, go to or move to chicago. inventory and curation of certain items is discerned based on purchase behavior of geographies, studies of household incomes and propensity planning.
how can milwaukee become more like chicago? not by leaving shitty Unilocal reviews.
maybe by politely inquiring with the company (any company) if they’d be willing to start carrying or offering what you’re looking for. what Rob did was class act. it’s what i’d expect out of a hope-​to-​be-​high-​end store.
i guess my review is not only of the store, but also an opportunity to vent about cultural barriers in milwaukee. close-​minded negative self-​talk and cyber-​bullying doesn’t increase the collective consciousness of a community. maybe by simply coming together, offering up direct and honest feedback without trying to tear someone down can help everyone. being a small business owner, low Unilocal reviews don’t help me increase my service, it actually hurts my business and can run me out of town.
if we want to run nordstrom out of town, all we have to do is keep focusing on the negative online to steer people away. let’s just talk to them directly and the critical mass of economics will eventually change things. this is true for all business.

Finally, a decent shoe department in the state of Wisconsin. Thank you Nordstrom!
I love Nordstrom overall and shop their stores and order online. So glad to see the new store in Wauwatosa. I wish it were larger and had more selection, but it’s still pretty great. My only complaint is that I am a card holder and a GOOD customer, but I have not been receiving any mail about the new store opening or upcoming events. I suppose that may be because I live in Madison. However, I work in Wauwatosa 2 – 3 days/​week, so I have the opportunity to pop over there often.
During my first visit I found a sale item I loved. It wasn’t in my size, but the woman working the section I was in promptly placed an order from another store and had it shipped to me. This was on a Monday and the item was delivered to my door on Thursday. I’m excited to have a store nearby and hope it does well so they can keep their inventory levels high.

On a rainy, weekday morning parking was plentiful. This new emporium is well designed and executed. Staff of course are excellent. Had a coffee at the Mall entrance that was good but a little weak. Welcome to Tosa, Nordstrom’s !

I think I’m being lenient by giving Nordstrom 3 stars. Yes, we’ve all been long awaiting the arrival of Nordstrom. And for good reason. We need a decent department store, and one with excellent service. At least that’s what we’ve been expecting. Well, more than decent – we all know and love Nordstrom. So what do we get?
A beautiful store. Yes, the facility itself is rather beautiful. It’s open and airy. And yadayadyada… But really we do want more substance than the container itself. Remember the old ad that asked if you shop at a store for its beautiful bags? Well, sometimes you do. But you also shop there for it’s merchandise, as well as the entire experience. So moving on to the experience.
The shoes – what Nordstrom is known for, of course are lovely. Many of the shoes and boots are available elsewhere, but not usually in the array of sizes and styles and colors. So that’s a plus.
Let’s move on to the experience of the women’s clothing area. The heart of the store, and what I personally was hoping was going to be a real drop dead gorgeous area. What I found was kind of «not so all that.» Really it seems the low end was lower than what you’d expect from your average Nordstrom store. I was focusing mainly on sweaters. In the Point of View department I saw several sweaters in the $ 80-​$ 90 range in acrylic. Really? I can find acrylic sweaters anywhere and for a lot less $$. I don’t need to shop at Nordstrom for that. Moving on to the designer area, I found sweaters in the $ 300-​$ 500 range (mostly Eileen Fisher). So I found a lot of low and high, but not much in the middle.
Now let’s talk about that service. This is what I found. In the Point of View area, I was immediately greeted by a young (20-​something) refreshing woman who asked if she could help me find anything. I told her what I was looking for, and she offered to search for other sweaters. She found a few others and was very helpful. I asked her about a neighboring department, and she clued me in on the kind of things they specialized in – mostly «going out stuff.» She was so nice and I would definitely go see her again.
On the other hand, in the Eileen Fisher department, an older sales woman walked up to me while I was trying on a sweater. She immediately told me I needed to adjust the shoulder seams. (They looked fine to me). She then told me I could get some kind of tape (from the lingerie department) to fix the front opening from flapping open. But you know what, it wasn’t
having any problem. It was lying perfectly flat. Huh? Then, she asks me if this was my first time ever at a Nordstrom? Ever? I didn’t answer. Did I look like I just flew in from a UFO? Hmm, I will not be seeking out that salesperson again…

In the context of other Nordstrom’s I’ve visited, this one is probably 2 stars. In the context of what else is available in Milwaukee, it’s 5 stars. I was really excited when I heard they were finally opening here, but a little concerned that the merchandise mix would be dumbed down. Here’s how it broke down for me:
Shoes: 3 stars
A decent, not exceptional mix of brands and styles. Everything is nicely displayed and there are both on-​trend and timeless choices. Don’t expect much in the way of high end brands — no Louboutins, etc.
Handbags: 0 stars
Disgraceful, really. When 85% of the stock is Coach, Marc Jacobs and Kate Spade aka «shit I can get at Macy’s» you need to step up your game. No Lanvin, no Burberry, not even Longchamp. I can get better labels at Saks Off 5^th, which is a discounter so that tells you how wack the selection is here. Whoever merchandises this section should be ashamed because it’s pretty crappy for a nicer department store.
Apparel: 4 stars
This is obviously super subjective because what I like is not going to be what someone else likes. Personally, I’m liking the very large Eileen Fisher section, so I’m content. Again, don’t expect high end brands because they aren’t here.
Beauty: 5 stars
Hallelujah! Kiehls, Jo Malone, La Mer, La Prairie, Sisley and more are finally available here! Staff is a wee bit «in your face» but in a mostly helpful, not too pushy way.
Service: 5 stars
Nordstrom prides themselves on good service — expect free alterations, free personal shopping, etc. Staff seem pretty excited about the new store and were friendly.
Overall: The selection is definitely dumbed down so if you’re hoping for Prada, Vuitton, Burberry, etc you’re going to be disappointed. I am, a little, but this location gives me about 90% of what I need on a regular basis and saves me trips to Chicago.
(Update: I bitched to one of the staffers here about the lack of designer brands and they said they’d been hearing quite a bit of that feedback. Apparently if you want a thing, order it through the store and if they get enough orders for higher end items, they’ll start stocking better stuff. Pretty bullshit, but what can you do?)

3 stars for the store; 4.5 stars for their restaurant on the ground floor/​east side.
Very good restaurant — Ruscello. Good cocktails, best tomato soup I ever had (probably high calorie), really delicious mushroom and cheese flatbread appetizer. Super moist chocolate cake floating in rich caramel sauce! Grilled vegetable salad doesn’t offer much in the vegetable category. It’s actually a grilled corn salad. (Hey chef, corn is a grain.)
But do order the grilled salmon and roasted vegetables. It’s reasonably priced, and if you don’t eat bread, pasta, or rice, this will be you’re new favorite entrée in the Wauwatosa area.
So why review the restaurant and not the store?
Okay. Nordstrom’s also has a nice shoe department. Other than that, it’s underwhelming. Not seeing all the ‘luxury’ brands I’ve always had to drive to Chicago to buy. Just like the Mayfair and Grand Avenue Marshall Field’s of old (wipes away tears from eyes), the new Nordstrom’s must not think the Wauwatosa/​Milwaukee area is ready for their entire line of merchandise.

This is a nice addition to Mayfair Mall. They did a beautiful job on the store and the fixtures.
As previous posters have said, I am also disappointed in the selection and the lack of designer labels for women’s apparel, shoes and handbags that Nordstroms down in the Chicago area is known for. The men’s department is definitely a plus for Milwaukee and my husband was almost giddy with their offerings. Staff was super friendly and helpful, almost too helpful with a couple of them fighting over who was going to check us out in the men’s department.

GREAT service! The staff is all very welcoming and friendly. I went into the cosmetics department today and was instantly greeted & welcomed by the girl standing at the front of the department. Feeling welcome incosmetics is truly a fantastic thing because it’s usually always an overwhelming experience. I loved the cashmere scarves in the accessories department and oooh’d and aaaah’d when I went up to the Womens department on the 3^rd floor. They do not carry a lot of the luxury brands but are a new store so hopefully one day they will get some Burberry, Yves St. Laurent, Jimmy Choo, etc.

Milwaukee has been anxiously awaiting the opening of our first Nordstrom. Although the store is beautifully appointed, the lack of designer brands is disappointing. Almost all of the brands I saw in the store are available elsewhere in town. Most are also available at Macy’s or Boston Store. Purses??? same brands as everywhere else, including TJ Maxx for that matter; Michael Kors, Kate Spade, Marc Jacobs, Coach.
Where are the brands like Chanel, Chloe, St. John, Armani, Pour la Victorie, Gucci, Burberry, Prada, Ferragamo, Valentino, Versace, Lafayette 148, Designal, Loubutin, etc., etc., etc.? They are on the Nordstrom website under your Brand list.
Guess those of us (and their are many, despite the image that Milwaukee may have had in the past) who may want a pair of Christian Loubutin shoes, a Burberry scarf, or a Louis Vuitton purse will still be heading to Chicago.