Nordstrom closes flagship store after 35 years

SAN FRANCISCO — The luxury retailer Nordstrom has turned out the lights on its flagship location in San Fransico after 35 years in business.

>> Read more trending news

The company decided to shutter the shopping mecca saying the “dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our store and our ability to operate successfully,” when it announced the planned closure in May, CNN reported.

The massive 312,000-square-foot location was considered an anchor in the heart of San Francisco Centre. The retail center was hit hard during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Sales in 2019 before the pandemic were $455 million. Last year it was $298 million. The slide in foot traffic contributed to it with 9.7 million visits in 2019, slumping to 5.6 million in 2022 according to the mall’s owner, Westfield, which said it was letting go the control of the mall after Nordstrom decided to close.

Employees also attributed the declining sales to crime in the area, KGO reported.

A statement from Westfield issued in May said, “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 San Francisco Standard reported at the time.

The company said that it had told city leaders about the concerns for many years and “urged the city to find solutions to the key issues and lack of enforcement against rampant criminal activity.”

Nordstrom wasn’t the only company to close locations in the area. In addition to the flagship store and a Nordstrom Rack, Whole Foods closed its flagship due to staff safety and deteriorating conditions in the area, the Standard reported in May.

Saks Off 5th, Anthropologie, Office Depot and Amazon Go also closed earlier this year, according to the Standard.

The final sale in the five-story Nordstrom flagship store was rung up on Sunday, KGO reported.