Nordstrom will close both of its stores in downtown San Francisco over “the deteriorating situation” in the area, becoming the latest chain business to shutter a location in the crime-ridden metropolis, reports the New York Post. The retailer announced the closures at its Westfield Mall store and another nearby Nordstrom Rack to employees, stressing the downtown market in the city has “changed dramatically." The chain said "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.”
Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield (URW), owner of the mall where one of the Nordstrom stores is closing, slammed the current conditions in the city and said retailers are leaving in droves because of unsafe conditions that have dragged on, despite the company's pleading with city officials to take action. The Westfield Mall’s Nordstrom will be closed by the end of August and the Nordstrom Rack on Market Street’s final day will be July 1. Many businesses have struggling to deal with high crime rates. Twenty retailers have shut down stores in San Francisco’s Union Square since 2020. Last month, a recently opened Whole Foods Market closed over growing crime in the downtown area. A San Francisco Target store has been putting all of its cosmetic and toiletry products on lockdown.