• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

Tesla’s New Store is in Men’s Department at Nordstrom

By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
By
Kirsten Korosec
Kirsten Korosec
Down Arrow Button Icon
June 15, 2016, 1:48 PM ET
Courtesy of Tesla

This story has been corrected and updated. See below.

Tesla is experimenting with a new retail strategy by using the backdrop of department store Nordstrom to show off its all-electric Model X SUV.

The automaker plans to open a 400-square-foot showroom in the men’s department at Nordstrom The Grove in Los Angeles. The smaller-than-usual retail space, which will remain open through the end of the year, will feature a design studio where customers can tinker with interior and trim options. Visitors will also be able to take demonstration drives with Tesla employees.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune‘s daily technology newsletter.

This is the only showroom of its kind for Tesla. And while automakers have long displayed cars in malls, Tesla is the only one setting up shop in Nordstrom. A Tesla spokeswoman said there is currently no other plans for future showrooms. To be clear, this is just a showroom for now. Tesla has applied for a sales license and will sell both Model X and Model S at the location, a company spokeswoman said. The Model X will remain as only the vehicle on display.

This is the first time Nordstrom has worked with an automaker, according to Nordstrom spokesman Dan Evans, who declined to provide specifics on the financial arrangements of the partnership.

“While we admire Tesla, it’s really not about the car, it’s about offering something new,” Evans said in an email. “We’re investing in lots of ways to make our stores more compelling and this is an example.”

This store will only sell the Model X—at least for now. Tesla began deliveries of the Model X in September, but production and deliveries were slow to ramp up. The vehicle has had its share of problems including a recall and complaints about the doors and windshield.
Production and deliveries of the Model X have improved in the past quarter. Earlier this year, Tesla created an online design studio for customers in Europe and North America for choosing interior design details and the battery pack for the Model X. The company said in May that the Model X would be in all of its stores by the end of the year.
Tesla has a unique approach (at least within the automotive industry) to selling its all-electric vehicles. The company sells its own cars directly online and through its own branded stores, not through franchised dealerships.
It’s an approach that other automakers and dealers oppose and have actively fought against. Some states, like Texas and Arizona, have banned the direct sales model. In those states, Tesla can build a showroom—or gallery as it calls it—where customers can learn about the vehicles.
U.S. state laws prevent automakers with existing franchisees from opening their own dealerships to compete with them. However, dealer associations in a number of states including Massachusetts, Missouri, North Carolina, and Washington have tried to expand the law to include manufacturers like Tesla that don’t have franchise dealers. Auto dealership associations, lawmakers, and even General Motors have stepped up efforts to end—or at least cripple—Tesla’s direct sales business model. Tesla’s has had mixed results fighting these attacks.
Tesla has a history of tinkering with its sales strategy. Last summer, Tesla set up mobile pop-up shops in various vacation spots, including Santa Barbara, Calif., the Hamptons, and in Europe. Those mobile store was made up of two shipping containers with steel beams between and a canvas roof that fit on a flatbed truck. Once it reached its destination, it unfolded to double its size in a few hours.
Correction, June 15, 2016: An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Tesla was selling cars in the Nordstrom department store. A Tesla spokeswoman said it is a showroom for now. Once its sales license is approved, Tesla will use the space to sell its Model S and Model X.
About the Author
By Kirsten Korosec
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Fortune Secondary Logo
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Features
  • Leadership
  • Health
  • Commentary
  • Success
  • Retail
  • Mpw
  • Tech
  • Lifestyle
  • CEO Initiative
  • Asia
  • Politics
  • Conferences
  • Europe
  • Newsletters
  • Personal Finance
  • Environment
  • Magazine
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
  • Group Subscriptions
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map
  • Facebook icon
  • Twitter icon
  • LinkedIn icon
  • Instagram icon
  • Pinterest icon

Latest in Tech

AI promises to free workers from grunt work, but psychologists say those mindless tasks are exactly what our brains need to recover
AIworker productivity
AI promises to free workers from grunt work, but psychologists say those mindless tasks are exactly what our brains need to recover
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 11, 2026
15 minutes ago
crew aboard artemis II
Innovationspace
‘It’s 13 minutes of things that have to go right’: Artemis II splashes down despite faulty heat shield
By Catherina GioinoApril 10, 2026
8 hours ago
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
PoliticsFood and drink
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
By Catherina GioinoApril 10, 2026
10 hours ago
Three people sit behind a desk and look at the phone screen of the person in the middle.
Future of WorkConsulting
Meet ‘trendslop,’ the new, AI-fueled scourge of workplace consultants everywhere
By Sasha RogelbergApril 10, 2026
10 hours ago
Amazon is still paying Jeff Bezos an $80,000 yearly salary—but $1.6 million for travel and security
Big TechCEO salaries and executive compensation
Amazon is still paying Jeff Bezos an $80,000 yearly salary—but $1.6 million for travel and security
By Marco Quiroz-GutierrezApril 10, 2026
12 hours ago
Kash Patel sits with his two fingers on lips
CybersecurityIran
First they went after medtech, then Kash Patel. Iranian hackers’ next target is likely ‘low-hanging fruit’ in water, energy, and tourism, experts say
By Jacqueline MunisApril 10, 2026
13 hours ago

Most Popular

Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
Investing
Mark Cuban admits he made a mistake letting go of the Mavericks: 'I don't regret selling. I regret who I sold to'
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
Scottie Scheffler joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in golf's $100M club—and donated his entire Ryder Cup stipend to charity
Success
Scottie Scheffler joined Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy in golf's $100M club—and donated his entire Ryder Cup stipend to charity
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
17 hours ago
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
Innovation
Schools across America are quietly admitting that screens in classrooms made students worse off and are reversing years of tech-first policies
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
1 day ago
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
Economy
The U.S. government is spending $88 billion a month in interest on national debt—equal to spending on defense and education combined
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
AI
A Meta employee created a dashboard so coworkers can compete to be the company's No. 1 AI token user—and Zuckerberg doesn't even rank in the top 250
By Fortune EditorsApril 9, 2026
2 days ago
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
Politics
The Navy confirmed an ‘abundant amount’ of Uncrustables when the Artemis II crew lands. Smucker’s just offered them a lifetime supply
By Fortune EditorsApril 10, 2026
10 hours ago

© 2026 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.