Nordstrom Rack opens west Columbia store

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The much-anticipated Nordstrom Rack store opened its doors in West Columbia on Thursday.

This is the first Nordstrom Rack in Mid-Missouri, with the closest locations in the Kansas City and St. Louis areas. The store is an "off-price" department store chain, which sells high-quality brands at discounts.

The 25,000-square-foot store is in the former Macy's building in the Shoppes on Stadium at 201 N. Stadium Blvd.

This building has been vacant since 2016, when Macy's closed.

The official grand opening event started at 8 a.m., although the first person in line told ABC 17 News that she arrived at 4:30 a.m. to guarantee her spot. Other shoppers in line said they arrived at 6:30 a.m.

Shoppers said they were most excited about the convenience of the store being in Columbia. One shopper said she used to drive four hours for a Nordstrom Rack, and now she only has to drive two.

Leanne Sullen, the district manager for Nordstrom Rack, said that this has been in the works for over a year. She added that Nordstrom is excited to have a presence in Mid-Missouri and be closer to its customers in the area.