Durham, NC, (March 8, 2002) - Fashion specialty retailer Nordstrom, Inc. opened its first store in Durham, North Carolina today at The Streets at Southpoint. Over 250 applauding store employees lined the aisles of the 144,000-square foot store to cheer the first customers through the door.

"We couldn't be more excited to get our doors open and welcome the North Carolina shoppers to Nordstrom," said Lisa Talley, store manager. "We have an outstanding team of people here who've been working hard to prepare for this day and can't wait to start taking care of customers. Our goal today is to make as many friends as possible in the Triangle community and introduce them to what Nordstrom has to offer."

The Streets at Southpoint is the retailer's 81st full-line store. It offers two levels of classic and contemporary shoes, clothing and accessories for men, women and children. The merchandise offering includes over 60,000 pairs of shoes, 1,200 men's suits and sportcoats, 1,800 neckties and 2,900 dress shirts in 54 different sizes. The wide selection includes Nordstrom exclusives such as Façonnable, Classiques Entier, Halogen, and Caslon. The store also offers complimentary personal shopping services, a Cafe Bistro restaurant, an Espresso Bar, in-store alterations and tailor shops and a shoe shine stand.

Earlier in the week, Nordstrom celebrated its opening with an evening cocktail preview party that was expected to raise over $100,000 for various projects of the Junior League of Durham and Orange Counties, Inc., The Durham Chapter of the Links, Inc. and Junior League of Raleigh, Inc. Guests enjoyed lavish buffets, live musical entertainment and fashion presentations throughout the store.

Nordstrom, Inc. is one of the nation's leading fashion specialty retailers, with 132 US stores located in 26 states. Founded in 1901 as a shoe store in Seattle, today Nordstrom operates 81 full-line stores, 44 Nordstrom Racks, four Façonnable boutiques, two free-standing shoe stores, and one clearance store. Nordstrom also operates 24 international Façonnable boutiques, primarily in Europe. Additionally, Nordstrom serves customers through its online presence at http://www.nordstrom.com and through its direct mail catalogs. Nordstrom, Inc. is publicly traded on the NYSE under the symbol JWN.