Bloomingdale’s will close its San Francisco flagship store near Union Square, becoming the latest in a string of retailers fleeing the city, which has been suffering from crime and declining sales and foot traffic over the last couple of years.
Nordstrom, Nordstrom Rack, The North Face, Hollister, Adidas, Lego Store, Anthropologie, Old Navy, Express and Whole Foods are among the other recent closings in San Francisco. The Westfield San Francisco Centre, on Market and Fifth Streets where Bloomingdale’s is located, stopped paying its debt on the center in 2023 and turned the site was turned over to its lenders.
Saks Fifth Avenue, in an unprecedented maneuver, switched its San Francisco department store to an appointment-only format. Saks, Neiman Marcus and other stores have been hit by snatch-and-grab robberies in the past, but Saks is not giving up on the city. Shifting to by appointment only may help reduce the chances of further robberies at the store.
Bloomingdale’s is owned by Macy’s Inc., which also has a Macy’s store in Union Square in San Francisco. That Macy’s store was not on the retailer’s list of 66 closures set for 2025, but it’s not clear whether Macy’s intends to continue operating the store for the long term. That site is made up of comprises a series of interconnected buildings amounting to more than 1 million square feet. Over the years, Macy’s poured millions of dollars into renovations and expansions at the site, and Macy’s could try to sell the real estate.
Bloomingdale’s, which opened its San Francisco store in September of 2006, was also not included in the list of 66 closures. The five-floor, 330,000-square-foot unit has been the second largest in the chain, next to the Bloomingdale’s 59th Street flagship in Manhattan.
“We are saddened to confirm that Bloomingdale’s will officially close its doors in Union Square, San Francisco. This vibrant city has been home to the brand for nearly two incredible decades,” Bloomingdale’s indicated in a statement. “While we are committed to this decision, Bloomingdale’s doors will remain open until late spring 2025. We are hopeful to be back to serve the San Francisco community in the future and look forward to introducing new ways to provide enhanced service to our loyal local shoppers.”
Bloomingdale’s noted that customers looking for alternatives for the soon-to-close San Francisco store can shop bloomingdales.com or Bloomingdale’s Stanford, which is 35 miles south of San Francisco, and Bloomingdale’s Valley Fair, about 50 miles south from the city.
Bloomingdale’s, a division of Macy’s Inc., operates 32 Bloomingdale’s department stores, 21 Bloomingdale’s The Outlet stores and four Bloomie’s stores.
Bloomingdale’s opened in San Francisco in grand style with a strong luxury statement underscored by Louis Vuitton and Christian Dior shops that anchored the main floor entrance, designer handbag shops from Marc Jacobs, Fendi, Lambertson Truex and others, a French Art Deco-inspired mirrored perfumery, and a robust offering of contemporary fashion brands.
Bloomingdale’s in San Francisco in 2006.
San Francisco Chronicle via Gett
