Nordstrom shut all stores after its flagship location was looted amid protests

• Nordstrom shut all its stores on Sunday due to protests and looting.
• The department store chain, which has 378 locations, had recently started reopening its stores following weeks of forced closures amid the pandemic.
• Some Nordstrom stores were looted over the weekend, and the company said it wanted to "take the time to assess the damage, repair and reopen those stores so we can continue serving customers as soon as possible."

Nordstrom said it shut all its stores on Sunday in response to widespread protests.

"To help keep everyone safe, we made the decision to temporarily close our stores yesterday," Nordstrom said in a notice posted to its website on Monday. "Some of our stores were impacted by gatherings in our cities this weekend, and we wanted to take the time to assess the damage, repair and reopen those stores so we can continue serving customers as soon as possible."

The company's flagship store in Seattle and another store in Los Angeles were looted over the weekend.

"Thankfully, none of our employees were injured in these events, and we're communicating regularly with all of them on the actions we're taking and the ways we will continue to support them," the company said. "We'll also pay employees for any shifts they may have missed as a result of these unexpected closures."

Nordstrom advised customers to check its website for updates on store operations, saying the situation is "evolving quickly."

The company, which has 378 total locations, began reopening its stores last month following weeks of forced closures due to the pandemic.

In its statement on the decision to close its stores, Nordstrom said it was "heartbroken by the senseless deaths of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery, and too many others."

"The events of this weekend are one more painful reminder that injustice remains in our world," the company said. "We can fix the damage to our stores. Windows and merchandise can be replaced. We continue to believe as strongly as ever that tremendous change is needed to address the issues facing black people in our country today. "

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