Nordstrom To Close Stores In Downtown San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO — Nordstrom is closings two stores in downtown San Francisco, the company told employees this week.

The retailer will not renew the lease for its Westfield San Francisco Centre mall location or for the nearby Rack store on Market Street, Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom said in a message to workers published in full by KGO. The Westfield department store will close in late August while the Rack location will shutter July 1, the message said.

“… as many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully,” Nordstrom said in the message.

“With both leases set to expire, and after looking closely at our opportunities in the region, we believe we can better serve our customers there by focusing on our 16 nearby Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack locations, as well as online.”

Nordstrom joins at least 20 retailers in the Union Square area that have closed or plan to close since 2020, The San Francisco Standard reported. Nearby closures include Office Depot, The Container Store, Anthropologie and Saks Off 5th, according to KGO, although the outlet noted Ikea intends to open just down the street from Nordstrom’s soon-to-be-shuttered Westfield location.

A downtown Whole Foods closed abruptly within the last month due to worries over employee safety, the Standard reported, adding a Walgreens that neighbors Westfield mall experienced a deadly shooting in which a security guard struck a shoplifter.

"The planned closure of Nordstrom underscores the deteriorating situation in downtown San Francisco,” the mall said in a statement published by KGO in full that called on the city to address crime downtown.

“A growing number of retailers and businesses are leaving the area due to the unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.”

While Nordstrom is leaving downtown San Francisco, the retailer remains committed to the Bay Area, according to Nordstrom, who noted the company remodeled its Valley Fair store and has plans to open a new Rack in Pinole.