With the exception of La Encantada and a few boutiques here and there, Tucson lacks the key components of a major shopping destination. Fashionistas across campus struggle to find their favorite brands and quality clothing with such limited choices. But on Thursday, the grand opening of Nordstrom Rack at The Corner on the southeast corner of Oracle and Wetmore roads will change that.

Nordstrom Rack, an off-price division of Nordstrom, offers on-trend clearance items from Nordstrom as well as items specifically purchased for Nordstrom Rack. The store boasts name brands like Coach, Marc by Marc Jacobs, Juicy Couture, 7 for All Mankind and True Religion, all at discounts of 30 to 70 percent off original prices.

This new shopper’s paradise offers more than 2,000 pairs of denim jeans for men and women and more than 1,000 designer men’s ties. Perhaps the most enticing feature of the store is the entire wall dedicated to discounted Coach shoes alone. The 33,200 square foot shopaholic haven is sure to be a new hotspot for designer apparel, accessories and cosmetics.

Tucson’s Nordstrom Rack will be the fourth in Arizona, joining racks in Chandler, Peoria and Scottsdale.

To celebrate its new store, Nordstrom Rack will incorporate many festivities for customers into its grand opening event. Customers are welcome at 7 a.m. Thursday for free food, music and mingling at the Nordstrom Rack tailgate party. Then at 9 a.m. customers can begin shopping — and Nordstrom Rack expects a crowd.

“Our opening morning is just like a tailgate party except this one’s all about fashion! Customers might want to get there early … We can accommodate hundreds of customers at any given time on opening morning,” Nordstrom public relations specialist Kendall Ault wrote in an email.

The first 1,000 customers to make a purchase will be awarded a complimentary reusable tote bag, and all shoppers will be greeted by hundreds of dollars of savings waiting inside the doors. The most exciting festivity, however, is the golden hanger challenge. Twenty golden hangers, hidden throughout the store, can be redeemed for $100 per hanger to spend inside the store. “It’s the ultimate treasure hunt,” Ault wrote.

The exciting opening of a designer-studded store helps put Tucson on the map of the fashion world. With the first Tucson Fashion’s Night Out event and a Nordstrom Rack opening in the same semester, it is clear that Tucson fashionistas are stepping up and working hard to make Tucson more fashion-friendly.