Nordstrom will no longer have a retail presence in San Francisco. The retailer is set to close down both of its Downtown San Francisco stores and an additional Nordstrom Rack nearby. The retailer will not renew its lease obligations for its location in the Westfield Mall. The closures are expected to represent approximately 357,500 square feet of retail space.
The company’s chief stores officer confirmed the closures via email, citing significant changes in the San Francisco market’s dynamics as the reason for the move. The San Francisco Business Times reports that these planned closures will affect the city’s downtown retail sector significantly.
The property management company, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), is said to have expressed concerns about increased crime: “The planned closure of Nordstrom underscores the deteriorating situation in downtown San Francisco,” said a mall spokesperson. “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,” the statement read.
According to the SF Gate, stores will remain open in Daly City, San Mateo, and Emeryville.