Nordstrom is the latest retailer to shutter stores in downtown San Francisco as crime, rising costs and the fallout from remote work forces lead companies across the country to reevaluate viability in major cities, the Washington Post reported. The Seattle-based retailer, citing dwindling foot traffic, will not renew leases for its store in Westfield Mall and a Nordstrom Rack across the street, according to an email sent to staff from chief stores officer Jamie Nordstrom. The Westfield store will be open until the end of August, and the Rack location will close July 1. In a statement to the Post, Westfield attributed the closure to “the deteriorating situation in downtown San Francisco” and blamed the departure of businesses on “unsafe conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.” Whole Foods announced in April it was shutting down its year-old flagship store downtown “for the time being” to “ensure the safety of our Team Members,” the company told the Post. Retailers Anthropologie and Office Depot are also exiting the area.
