Judy Seckler
GLENDALE GALLERIA -- Inga Arutyunyan was plunged into a shopper's
paradise Friday morning at Nordstrom Rack's grand-opening festivities.
Arutyunyan's entry card was chosen from among 500 excited customers
for the new store's 90-second "Race for Values" shopping spree. The
contest allowed the winner to grab up to $2,000 worth of merchandise in
90 seconds.
"Watch me! I'm going to win this," Arutyunyan joked to her sister,
Kristina, as they waited on line. Once her name was called, she appeared
calm apart from glancing at her watch to gauge the time limit.
The crowd enthusiastically cheered her on as she ran through the
store, dropping women's clothing, housewares, purses, home accessories,
childrens' clothing, candles, an armful of shoes, pairs of sunglasses and
a house fountain into a shopping basket that was steered by a Nordstrom
employee. There was no time to think about what went into the cart but in
the end it was overflowing with items.
Many shoppers stayed after the race to check out the store. Customer
Anita Smith of Glendale, who prefers the Rack over the regular retail
store, could hardly wait for it to open.
"I love this store. The quality is outstanding and the prices are
great," she said.
Blake Nordstrom, president of the Rack Business Unit, said his
company's goal was to have the best merchandise brands and fashions. The
clearance concept originally started in the basement of the company's
downtown Seattle store with shoe racks.
INGA'S 90-SECOND SHOPPING SPREE
What Inga Arutyunyan managed to grab during her 90-second spree in the
Nordstrom Rack's "Race for Values" contest:
* Womens' suits
* Children's clothing
* A house fountain
* Womens' sportswear
* Womens' shoes
* Purses
* Candles
* Sunglasses
