‘A very strong development’: Nordstrom Rack to open soon in Wheaton

Nordstrom Rack is expanding into the Chicago suburbs with an eagerly anticipated store opening in Wheaton next month and another coming to Geneva in 2025.

Three tenant spaces in Wheaton’s Danada Square East retail center were combined to create one store with about 29,000 square feet. The Rack is slated to open its doors on May 30, Nordstrom spokesperson Manuela Uscher confirmed.

Nordstrom Rack is the off-price arm of the upscale department store chain. The Seattle-based company also plans to open a Nordstrom Rack in the Randall Square shopping strip in Geneva in spring 2025. A local retail analyst said it’s a “necessary move.”

“The whole anchor store phenomenon seems to be leaving the major regional malls and destination malls and going to the strip mall,” said Dave Aron, a marketing professor at the Dominican University Brennan School of Business and a Naperville resident. “I think that’s what they have to do to have access to those customers.”

Nordstrom Rack carries a revolving selection of clothing, shoes and other merchandise from flagship Nordstrom stores at up to 70% off regular department store prices. The Rack gets new deliveries every week.

“You’ll still see the brands that people want to see and expect to see in a Nordstrom store,” Aron said.

Nordstrom Rack also has expanded its selection of cosmetics in the last year. Select Rack stores — including the one in Wheaton — are offering the same beauty brands featured in full-line Nordstrom stores.

Rack customers can now shop for products from M.A.C., Kate Somerville, Murad, Too Faced, Urban Decay, NYX Cosmetics, Shiseido and DryBar, according to the company spokesperson.

“It's to the advantage of all the brands involved if they can sort of share each other's names, share each other's customers. They’re kind of doing that anyway,” Aron said. “And it's just reinforcing the fact that this is the place to go to get the products that you want.”

Nordstrom Rack occupies the northeastern corner of the Danada shopping center anchored by Whole Foods at Butterfield and Naperville roads.

“The Nordstrom name is so strong … It's going to be great merchandise and more accessible prices. I think it's going to be a very strong development for the mall,” Aron said.

In Geneva, the Rack will fill a 25,000-square-foot space in Randall Square, joining Ulta Beauty, Old Navy and Michael's. Randall Square is owned and managed by Ohio-based Viking Partners.

“We were elated at the opportunity to add Nordstrom Rack to the retail mix following our recent acquisition of Randall Square,” Jeff Sluzala, Viking’s director of asset management, said in an announcement last month. “Nordstrom's presence will add loads of value for patrons of the already dynamic and diverse destination shopping center.”

The retailer operates four Nordstrom stores and 17 Nordstrom Rack stores in Illinois.