SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — San Francisco’s flagship store, Nordstrom, is officially closed. Sunday marked the store’s last day of business after 35 years in the downtown area.
Nordstrom opened in October 1988 at the corner of 5th Street and Market Street. The store spanned an impressive 312,000 square feet and occupied five floors of the San Francisco Center mall.
“It’s a sad day. It’s a wonderful store. He was an anchor in San Francisco,” said Julie from San Francisco.
RELATED: Inside San Francisco’s empty flagship Nordstrom, which is closing after more than three decades
Inside the empty flagship Nordstrom in San Francisco, which is closing after more than three decades
Julie was one of the first shoppers to ride the signature spiral escalator Sunday for Nordstrom’s final business day at the San Francisco Center.
Leslie Simmons and her daughter had not heard the news.
“I didn’t know today was the last day. I’m glad we’re unexpectedly here to walk around one last time,” Simmons said.
The once bustling store is now deserted and crammed with empty windows.
VIDEO: Nordstrom will close both stores in downtown San Francisco, the company confirms
Nordstrom will close both stores in downtown SF, according to the company
“It’s kind of depressing as a native of San Francisco to see downtown just disappearing,” said Oakland’s Denise Alexander.
Nordstrom announced in May that it was closing the store due to declining sales. Staff say they weren’t surprised.
“This is definitely partly due to the crime in the area. COVID-19 has had a major impact,” said a Nordstrom employee.
This flagship store opened in 1988 and was a big deal back then.
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ABC7 News was there for the grand opening of Nordstrom, which attracted 60,000 shoppers on the first day.
Alexander remembers it well.
“I’m going up the escalator and I’m looking forward to it,” said Alexander.
There was a heavy police presence on Market Street on Sunday. The future of the San Francisco Center shopping mall is unknown.
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“Let me say this: We have some serious issues in San Francisco that we need to work on,” said San Francisco supervisor Matt Dorsey.
Dorsey is optimistic.
“San Francisco has always had its ups and downs, but I’m telling you, we always come back. And I will not lose my optimism about my district or my city,” he said.
Sales tax revenue for South of Market (SoMA), where the mall is located, is down 25% in the first quarter of 2019 versus 2023.
The mayor’s office says it is working on legislative changes and tax reforms to bring more businesses to the area.
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