Hopeful shoppers began gathering at 5 a.m. Thursday outside the new Nordstrom Rack store in Annapolis Harbour Center to get the first look at discounted designer merchandise and register for the $2,000, 90-second shopping spree. 

Janice Brinkley barely made it in time for the 8:45 a.m. drawing. While the Clinton, MD, resident had planned for days to attend the grand opening of Nordstrom Rack, she never thought she’d get to shop for free. But when the drawing was held, Brinkley was the lucky winner of the Race Through the Rack contest.

“I got here at 8:30 this morning and was a last-minute entry,” Brinkley said. “I’m so happy. This is such a blessing.”

After Brinkley’s name was drawn, Nordstrom Rack employees allowed her a quick tour of the store before her shopping dash began.

“I had thought that if I won I would go for high-end things, like purses, shoes and suits,” Brinkley said. “But in the end, you only have 90 seconds so you just do what you can.”

Shoppers enjoyed free coffee and pastries from Panera Bread, while WLIF 101.9 FM radio of Baltimore kept the crowd going with music. Employees worked the crowd, leading cheers and handing out noisemakers.

By opening time, 615 people stood in a line that wound down the sidewalk from Nordstrom Rack’s door, past Barnes and Noble Booksellers to the South Moon Under clothing store. 

Christine Coleman of Annapolis was the first person in line at 5 a.m. While Coleman wasn’t shopping for anything in particular, Tersheia Venerable of Arnold arrived at 6:30 a.m. to get the first crack at Nordstrom Rack’s shoe collection.

Tina Hill of Bowie and Barbara Driggins of New Carrollton got in line around 7:30.  Hoping to win the shopping spree, the ladies had mapped out a plan to score the most loot.

“We have a strategy,” Hill said. “We’re in…we’re going to the designer section grab our sizes, purses, jewelry, sunshades...we’re on!”

“Everything we can get our hands on,” Driggins said with a laugh.

After the Race Through the Rack contest was over, employees gathered inside the front doors to count down to the opening. At 9 a.m. sharp, customers began an orderly stream into the 32,000-square-foot store greeted by cheers from the sales team.

The first 1,000 customers to make a purchase received a free reusable tote.

Nordstrom Rack is the off-price division of Nordstrom Inc., offering clearance merchandise from Nordstrom stores, as well as items purchased specially for Nordstrom Rack.

The store at Annapolis Harbour Center is the third Rack store in Maryland.   Regular store hours are Monday-Saturday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.