The new Bloomingdale’s concept taking shape at University Village has announced an opening date. The smaller-format Bloomie’s opens November 2. (Yes, the department store’s nickname is the official name here.)

Bloomie’s occupies a space near U Village’s west garage, tucked next to Anthropologie and Athleta, behind Shake Shack. It will be the third location for the more compact spinoff. The original Bloomie’s opened in 2021 in Fairfax, Virginia; there’s another one in the Chicago suburbs.

The stores pack a “highly curated” selection of men’s and women’s clothes, makeup and skincare, handbags, and even some home brands into 19,000 square feet. The company also promises an "expansive" shoe section full of brands like Birkenstock, ON, and Vince. The two-story space will include a dedicated space for popups or other rotating selections.

But clearly with a footprint that size, you won’t get the same selection available at the 815,000-square-foot Bloomingdale’s flagship in Manhattan. This outpost is most definitely designed for customers conversant in online shopping. A large front desk near the entrance will coordinate alterations, personal styling appointments, and returns or exchanges. 

Here are some of the brands you might see when Bloomie’s opens its doors in November: Alo Yoga, Augustinus Bader, Polo, Rag and Bone, and Veronica Beard. Bloomie's will be the only Seattle retailer for the brands Sandro, Maje, and James Perse.

Fans of Bloomingdale’s have long yearned for its presence in the Pacific Northwest. The historic department store chain, now a division of Macy’s, has 32 full-service locations (plus 21 outlets), but the closest one is in San Francisco. While you can’t ride an escalator to browse floor after floor of coats, shoes, and bedding at Bloomie’s, its presence does make it easier to shop the Bloomingdale’s website, knowing there’s a place nearby to handle alterations or returns.

It's hardly the only legacy department store trying to navigate this new shopping era. Our own Nordstrom has experimented with Nordstrom Local, a storefront that handles returns, alterations, and online order pickups—but doesn’t sell any actual clothes.

Like our historic department stores, University Village has undergone its own evolution in the face of changing retail models. General manager Susie Plummer was ahead of the curve in attracting restaurants and local names (oh hello, Bogey Boys) that draw crowds and help woo in-demand (and often direct-to-consumer) brands like Everlane, Cotopaxi, Vuori, and Clare V.

Bloomie’s is also the first department store presence in U Village since Lamonts (formerly Rhodes) closed in 1994.

Editor's Note (November 3): Bloomie's has officially opened