Just a few days after Target and Neiman Marcus announced their collaboration for the holiday season we get word of another partnership between retailers. This time the collaboration is between high-street UK based retailer Topshop known for fast fashion and Seattle-based department store Nordstrom.

Starting September 10, customers at select Nordstrom locations can buy select pieces from Topshop and Topman, the men’s store. Nordstrom.com will also carry Topshop/Topman merchandise. This is actually a nice opportunity for Topshop to reach a wider audience and for Nordstrom to bring in another customer. There are currently only 3 Topshop stores in the U.S., Chicago, Las Vegas, and the stateside flagship in SoHo. According to Topshop execs, this partnership is a test run of sorts before opening at The Grove in LA next year and possibly Miami in the future.

“Fast fashion implies cheap, and that’s not what we’re after,” said Pete E. Nordstrom, president of merchandising for Nordstrom. “It wasn’t about how we sell a bunch of really cheap T-shirts. It’s about how we deliver credible new fashion to the customer.” The Topshop collection at Nordstrom will have exclusive pieces that can’t be found at Topshop stores.

I’m excited to see what the offering will be. I just HAD to go to the Topshop in NY last summer after falling in love with the London version. Let’s just say I was underwhelmed, which seems to be the trend for European fast fashion shops opening in the states. (I won’t say names…ahem, H&M in Dallas.) It’s a battle of retail teams for holiday. Who’s going to get your vote…Neiman Marcus x Target or Nordstrom x Topshop?

Stores lucky enough to get Topshop:

Ala Moana (Honolulu, HI)
Barton Creek Square (Austin, TX)
Burlington (Burlington, MA)
Chandler Fashion Center (Chandler, AZ)
Dadeland Mall (Miami, FL)
Garden State Plaza (Paramus, NJ)
Irvine Spectrum Center (Irvine, CA)
Oakbrook Center (Oakbrook, IL)
Phipps Plaza (Atlanta, GA)
The Plaza at King of Prussia (King of Prussia, PA)
San Francisco Centre (San Francisco, CA)
South Coast Plaza (Costa Mesa, CA)
Southcenter (Tukwila, WA)
Valley Fair (San Jose, CA)

Check the NY Times for more details.

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/13/business/topshop-is-coming-to-nordstrom.html?ref=business