4 ms·

Bellingham is one thing, but Seattle is a good 2.5h drive from Vancouver, or maybe even more depending on border crossing and traffic along I-5. I can't imagin

by wk_end 4y ago

Bellingham is one thing, but Seattle is a good 2.5h drive from Vancouver, or maybe even more depending on border crossing and traffic along I-5. I can't imagine anyone deciding that they want to drive for five hours plus to save a little bit of money at Nordstrom, especially given the cost of gas, especially since folks who shop at Nordstrom aren't exactly penny-pinchers, and especially because Nordstrom is pretty high-end...so by the time you've spent enough money to have saved enough money to make all that worthwhile, you've blown past your duty exemption allowance.

dylan604 4y ago
Yeah, I've never heard of someone going to NYC for a weekend specifically to go shopping and taking empty suitcases on the plane. /s (feel free to fill in whatever city Paris, Milan, LA, etc) People make shopping excursions all the time. Just because you don't do it, doesn't mean others don't. People drive from Houston<->Dallas specifically to go shopping. Yes, there's no international border to cross, but it is still a 5 hour drive one way. So a 2.5 hour drive from Vancouver to Seattle would be nothing for those that are into it.
- wk_end 4y ago
  I'm not saying no one does it (though, like I said, I can't imagine why), I'm saying there's a very good answer to OP's question of: > Why go to Nordstroms [sic] in Vancouver when you can hit the one in Seattle? Also...are you familiar with Vancouver or Seattle? New York, Paris, Milan, LA are shopping meccas in a way that Seattle isn't. Heck, Seattle isn't even a shopping mecca in comparison to Vancouver. I actually am having a hard time picturing someone going to Seattle with an empty suitcase unless they live in Yakima or something. Maybe an empty icebox, if they're real into fish.
  - seanmcdirmid 4y ago
    You are sort of right about Seattle, but not Bellevue. Bellevue is a high end Nordtrom store (so is Seattle, but Bellevue has a lot more stuff these days). And Bellevue these days caters a lot to Indian and Chinese shoppers (like it does in Vancouver). There is also Seattle Outlet malls that is way north of Seattle and is pretty much just luxury brands with a bunch of BC plates in the parking lot.
  - dylan604 4y ago
    >(though, like I said, I can't imagine why), wow, that's a tough one to accept. surely, that can't be true, but my guess is you're limiting your imagination to shopping for essentials vs shopping for the experience or retail therapy type of shopping sessions. destination shopping is absolutely a thing. maybe not a thing you do, but it is an industry
    - wk_end 4y ago
      I'm not sure if I'm expressing myself poorly or we just disagree on this point, but for the record: I understand why someone might destination shop in a place like NYC, LA, Tokyo, etc.; I can't imagine why someone who lives in Vancouver would destination shop in Seattle.
seanmcdirmid 4y ago
Ya, when I wrote this I though there was a Nordstrom in Bellingham, but found it closed in the 90s. They can still go to Macy's and Target, but...no longer Nordstrom. There is one in Lynwood, however, so not quite a 2.5 hour drive (and of course, the Seattle outlet mall north of Everett is mostly Luxury, though no Nordstrom).

by wk_end 4y ago

dylan604 4y ago

Yeah, I've never heard of someone going to NYC for a weekend specifically to go shopping and taking empty suitcases on the plane. /s (feel free to fill in whatever city Paris, Milan, LA, etc) People make shopping excursions all the time. Just because you don't do it, doesn't mean others don't. People drive from Houston<->Dallas specifically to go shopping. Yes, there's no international border to cross, but it is still a 5 hour drive one way. So a 2.5 hour drive from Vancouver to Seattle would be nothing for those that are into it.

wk_end 4y ago
I'm not saying no one does it (though, like I said, I can't imagine why), I'm saying there's a very good answer to OP's question of: > Why go to Nordstroms [sic] in Vancouver when you can hit the one in Seattle? Also...are you familiar with Vancouver or Seattle? New York, Paris, Milan, LA are shopping meccas in a way that Seattle isn't. Heck, Seattle isn't even a shopping mecca in comparison to Vancouver. I actually am having a hard time picturing someone going to Seattle with an empty suitcase unless they live in Yakima or something. Maybe an empty icebox, if they're real into fish.
- seanmcdirmid 4y ago
  You are sort of right about Seattle, but not Bellevue. Bellevue is a high end Nordtrom store (so is Seattle, but Bellevue has a lot more stuff these days). And Bellevue these days caters a lot to Indian and Chinese shoppers (like it does in Vancouver). There is also Seattle Outlet malls that is way north of Seattle and is pretty much just luxury brands with a bunch of BC plates in the parking lot.
- dylan604 4y ago
  >(though, like I said, I can't imagine why), wow, that's a tough one to accept. surely, that can't be true, but my guess is you're limiting your imagination to shopping for essentials vs shopping for the experience or retail therapy type of shopping sessions. destination shopping is absolutely a thing. maybe not a thing you do, but it is an industry
  - wk_end 4y ago
    I'm not sure if I'm expressing myself poorly or we just disagree on this point, but for the record: I understand why someone might destination shop in a place like NYC, LA, Tokyo, etc.; I can't imagine why someone who lives in Vancouver would destination shop in Seattle.

seanmcdirmid 4y ago

Ya, when I wrote this I though there was a Nordstrom in Bellingham, but found it closed in the 90s. They can still go to Macy's and Target, but...no longer Nordstrom. There is one in Lynwood, however, so not quite a 2.5 hour drive (and of course, the Seattle outlet mall north of Everett is mostly Luxury, though no Nordstrom).