Zara to close its San Francisco Union Square location
Pedestrians carry shopping bags from Zara fashion store, operated by Inditex SA, in San Francisco, California, U.S., on Thursday, Dec. 26, 2019. Confidence among U.S. consumers advanced to a nine-week high on greater optimism about the economy and br
SAN FRANCISCO - Global retailer Zara will be shuttering the doors on its Union Square location within a year, the store chain said.
Zara's lease at the Union Square store expires in January 2025, and the retailer confirmed with KTVU in a statement that they will not be renewing their lease.
That being said, a spokesperson for Zara said the Emporium Centre's location, formerly known as the Westfield mall, will remain open and not be affected by the closure of the standalone store.
Hours earlier on Thursday, outdoor wear clothing company The North Face announced their own departure from their Post Street location, closing its doors at the end of the month.
The North Face was founded in San Francisco nearly 60 years ago. Crime and decreasing foot traffic were cited as reasons for the closure. The company did say their Santa Clara, Berkeley, Walnut Creek and Palo Alto locations will remain open.
Other stores to leave downtown San Francisco within the past year include Macy's flagship store in the heart of Union Square, Express store also in Union Square, Nordstrom and Nordstrom Rack, Anthropologie, Saks OFF 5TH, Jeffrey's Toys--the city's oldest toy store and inspiration for Pixar's "Toy Story," AT&T's flagship store, and Financial District's Lee's Delis.
However, it's not just closures throughout San Francisco. A new rooftop restaurant opened on Union Square in October 2023, and in the following month, celebrity chef Tyler Florence opened two cafés nearby.
Foot traffic was also up and crime was down in and around Union Square during the holidays, according to city officials.