OMG! Look what I bought at Nord Last Chance!!!

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Nordstrom's Last Chance
Camelback Colonnade
1919 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix
(602) 248-2843

The other one appears to be in Miami but I can't find where.

I've lived in PHX for years and had no idea this place existed. In fact, I used to live right by that shopping center. I wonder if it's new? I'm going to have to see what it's all about.
 
Thanks guys! I'm really excited about this bag. Its perfect I can't believe I didn't buy a Carly sooner! I love the way it fits so comfortable! About the store I'm not sure how longs its been there. I remember I use to go there when I was younger not sure if it was still a Nordstrom back then. I didn't know there was only two in the US. I guess it makes up for the fact we have no Coach outlets near us. LOL
 
Eh? you paid how much? Where? Something is a little fishy here.:s

I bet it's not a fake. here's why.

If you live in AZ, and you are a super shopper looking for deals, then you know about Last Chance! I started shopping there with my mother when I was 14, that was 14 years ago!

To put it one way... it's a complete mad house most of the days. There are always tons of people shopping, and at least 20 people waiting in line to check out at all times. When I go in the mornings right before they open, there are 40+ people waiting outside to get in. A SA stands on a chair and lays out the rules: no running, no pushing, no fighting... etc. BUT, you can find AMAZING deals. I heard that someone bought a legacy shoulder for $89.99. but one of the turnlocks was broken, and Last Chance writes the price in sharpie on the inside of the bag, and all the products sold in there were returns so they were used at some point.

If you like to dig through mounds of clothes, shoes and purses and find kick butt deals, then Last Chance is the place to go. One thing that bugs me though is the long lines to check out and try clothes on. Also becuase most of the items are used/returns, they have holes, stains, missing buttons or broken turnlocks! :tdown:

Here is a breif article from The Arizona Republic's YES weekly fashion magazine:

Nordstrom's Last Chance
You'll find St. John knits, Juicy Couture, 7 for All Mankind jeans, Michael Kors, Burberry and more with everything marked down 75 to 85 percent off retail. It's the only Last Chance in the country, and all the other stores send their final, final clearance items here. Things can have holes or stains, so make sure to inspect everything. But a broken strap or sole can easily be repaired, especially when the item costs only $5.95. New items are always arriving.

Details: Camelback Colonnade, 1919 E. Camelback Road, Phoenix, 602-248-2843, www.nordstrom.com.


here's an article that ran in the The Arizona Republic in 2000, so might be a little outdated, but still good info:

HOT DEALS ON HAUTE DUDS CLEARANCE SITE RECYCLES SOME PRICEY LABELS
By Judy Walker, The Arizona Republic

Within seconds of opening every day, Last Chance has a couple hundred shoppers. A few seconds later, the sound of hangers squeaking on racks fills the store like a chorus of crickets.

That squeaking sound is the siren call of one of the weirdest retail spaces on the planet, Nordstrom's Last Chance, located in the basement of the Colonnade Mall at 20th Street and Camelback Road in Phoenix.

The crowd includes teens, other young people, old people, middle-aged people, men, women, everybody. People who speak languages other than English or Spanish. Flight attendants who wheel in their little carts.

Claudia Acosta, 24, said she shops there about once a week, ''because the prices are low and the stuff is nice.''

Donna Crandall comes from Sedona every couple of months, when she visits her daughter. She was standing in line to purchase shoes, house slippers and a pink jacket recently.

''The prices are beautiful. They say no returns, so it's a buyer-beware situation. But, look, this is a darling jacket for $5.''

Marilyn Montana, 48, of Calgary, Canada, stood in line wearing a heavy wool jacket she intended to buy, pushing a shopping cart heaped with three pairs of capris, a pair of boots, and several $20 evening gowns. ''When I come here I go insane and spend a couple hundred dollars.''

Last Chance exists because its parent company, Nordstrom, is famous for customer service. With no official return policy, returns are handled on a case-by-case basis, said Leslie Harris, Nordstrom's Southwest public-relations director. ''The basic philosophy is to satisfy the customer.''

Last Chance is the clearance center, a second chance for those returns. Nordstrom has 74 full-service stores in 23 states, plus three Faconnable boutiques and two free-standing shoe stores. Some of the merchandise comes here if it doesn't sell at the 28 Nordstrom Rack stores, the off-price division where Nordstrom merchandise goes when it's out of season. (Arizona is getting its first Rack this October at the Promenade in Scottsdale, and another in 2001 in Chandler Fashion Center.) Returns, refurbished and reconditioned goods go straight to Last Chance.

The layout is simple. Big tables near the entrance hold whatever's on special or whatever they're trying to move. A table on the right wall holds miscellaneous junk that can't be hung up, such as picture frames or hair accessories. Shoes have their own enormous area off to the right, handbags in the center aisle. Women's dresses are to the left. Men's clothes are in the back, kids' stuff to the back left. The dressing room is on the left wall.

And there are sometimes sales: boots half off, capris half off, black pants half off, men's white shirts half off, $5 each. We've seen all Size 6 and under shoes for $5; all Size 12 and over marked half off. Toddler jellies shoes recently were heaped on a table for 25 cents a pair, a pile that dwindled steadily all day.

David Fernandez, 39, was a retail buyer for 15 years. He shops high-end stores, so he knows prices - a must for Last Chance bargain hunters. He checks the neck, pits, front and back of several shirts. In pants, he looks at the crotch and the seat.

If he even remotely might want it, Fernandez puts it in the basket.

He finds a quiet spot in which to check over his purchases, detecting near-invisible spots on a Calloway white Pima cotton polo shirt, and a small worn area on a leather coat. In less than 45 minutes, he's bought a jacket and a shirt, and a nice blouse for his mom.

''If I don't love it, just because it's a bargain, I don't buy it,'' he says.

Hanging around Last Chance, you hear many similar words of wisdom from seasoned shoppers.

Big tip No. 1: This is a treasure hunt. Consider anything you may find a gift from the shopping gods.

''You cannot go there expecting to find a black Calvin Klein dress and matching pearls for your date tomorrow night,'' said shopper Melissa Gilligan. ''It's really hit or miss.''

Other secrets of shopping here: Check other people's discarded stuff. It's been pre-selected!

Other tips:

*Because everything is sold ''as is,'' watch for rips, tears and slashes. The slashes, one person said, are from knives used to open boxes.

*Some garments are marked the wrong size. Maybe they're not really Size 10 pants, they're 2 or 18.

*Wear slip-on shoes. And if you don't want to stand in line for the dressing room, wear clothing you can slip clothes over, too.

*The middle number on the top of the shoe ticket indicates the month those shoes came into the store. For example, ''03'' is March, ''04'' April.

Many shoppers have their purchases repaired. The Shoe Shop around the corner in the mall repairs ''tons'' of Last Chance shoes and handbags, owner Mack Rayyan said. Repairs can cost from $3 to $50, he said. Sometimes, Last Chance customers bring in shoes for major repairs ''because they've paid $40 for $300 Ferragamos.''
 
Very neat! Thanks for posting! When I found the Carly I check it all over, inside and out, I had many women come up to me and ask "where'd you find that?" I even called my husband who was at another store so he could come check it out too. I was really bumbed that they have to write in marker the price inside the zipper bag, but as soon as I got home I grabbed soap detergent and a toothbrush and started scrubbing away. You can still see it a little it looks more like a very faint pen scribble now, I showed it to my husband and he couldn't figure out where the price mark was at anymore.
 
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