The Blubber

Nordstrom has announced its decision to close both of its Downtown San Francisco stores, including its location in the Westfield Mall and a nearby Nordstrom Rack. The retailer confirmed the closures on Tuesday, citing significant changes in the dynamics of the downtown market that have affected customer foot traffic and hindered successful operations.

The company's chief stores officer explained in an email to employees that the decision was made in light of the challenging conditions in the downtown area. The closures, which amount to approximately 357,500 square feet of retail space, were first reported by the San Francisco Business Times. The Westfield mall Nordstrom is set to close at the end of August, while the Nordstrom Rack will close its doors on July 1.

The Westfield mall's owner, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, issued a statement highlighting the deteriorating situation in Downtown San Francisco. The statement pointed to the departure of numerous retailers and businesses from the area due to unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees. The company also emphasized that these issues are impeding the area's economic recovery.

The mall's owner further stated that it has repeatedly expressed serious concerns to city leaders and has urged the city to address key issues and enforce measures against widespread criminal activity.

Despite the closures in San Francisco, Nordstrom also announced plans to expand its presence in California by opening five new Nordstrom Rack stores in various cities across the state, including San Mateo.

Nordstrom's announcement comes on the heels of Whole Foods' closure of its flagship store at Eighth and Market streets, which occurred less than a month ago. Whole Foods attributed the closure to concerns about employee safety and deteriorating conditions in the vicinity.

As of the time of reporting, a total of 20 retailers have either closed or announced plans to close stores in the Union Square area since 2020, an increase from 17 just one week prior.