NEW YORK -- At a time when many retailers are shuttering stores, Nordstrom is opening its first-ever Manhattan location aiming to woo online shoppers away from their keyboards with a combination of cocktails, custom products and convenience.

The men's store, which will welcome its first customers Thursday, is located across the street from the site that will be home to a Nordstrom women's store opening in the fall of 2019.

The in-person experience will be a change for New York, Nordstrom's largest market for online sales. It could provide a snapshot of the types of experiences that can entice shoppers now accustomed to browsing on computer screens to visit an actual store.

"It's a unique time to be building a big store,'' Chris Wanlass, vice president and general manager of Nordstrom New York, acknowledged prior to a tour for the media. But "we're excited to bring a physical experience.''

https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2018/04/09/nordstroms-first-nyc-store-offers-cocktails-round-clock-pick-up-and-even-shave/500156002/