Tesla to open gallery at Nordstrom in L.A.

June 15, 2016 01:00 AM

Tesla shoppers cannot purchase a vehicle at the Nordstrom gallery, but can do so online or at one of Tesla's retail stores.

Nordstrom shoppers in California will soon be able to check out a Tesla Model X while they browse the store’s clothing selections.

A 400-square-foot gallery will be housed in first floor at the Nordstrom at The Grove, an upscale mall in Los Angeles. It’s set to open on Saturday, June 18.

The gallery will feature a Tesla Design Studio where shoppers can look at interior and trim options and interactive displays.

Model X demonstration drives will also be available, which will take place on the streets surrounding the mall.

Shoppers cannot purchase a vehicle at the Nordstrom gallery but can do so online or at one of Tesla’s retail stores. The Tesla store in Century City, which is about five miles from The Grove, is the closest.

“Tesla is currently in the process of obtaining a sales license, which will allow us to not only demonstrate the vehicles, but to actually sell them as well,” a Tesla spokeswoman wrote in an email.

The gallery inside Nordstrom will be open until the end of the year.

The spokeswoman said that the company is not announcing any other plans for expansion at this time but said Tesla is “excited to see how customers respond to it.”

Nordstrom said the partnership brings “an exciting element of innovation” to their store.

“Tesla is a company we admire and over the course of a few conversations with them, we both recognized that this type of partnership made a lot of sense for our customers,” a Nordstrom spokesman said in an email.

The gallery space was formerly used for small events and some space was remodeled.