That would be a concern for a retailer like Seattle-based Nordstrom if it hadn't already embraced the off-price concept on its own. Nordstrom opened its first Nordstrom Rack outlet in Seattle back in 1995 with the dual intention of keeping both its overstock and irregular goods and a discount customer base in house. The stores had modest success, but there were only about 26 in the U.S. by the mid-'90s.