The North Face is closing its only store in its hometown of San Francisco that’s situated in dying downtown area which has become byword for drugs, homelessness and crime

San Francisco shoppers are in for another shocking blow as another major retailer is set to leave the crime and drug-ridden city.

North Face officials have announced that they will close the doors of their Union Square store on March 31.

Although the rock climbing and camping supplies company was founded in this city way back in 1964, the Union Square store is its only existing location.

Hailey Albright, a spokesperson for the company, said in a statement: “The North Face was born in San Francisco, and we have cherished the time we spent here, building roots and creating lasting memories.”

The retailer has not given a clear reason for the closure of the store at Poststraat 180.

Up websitedescribes how husband and wife Douglas and Susie Tompkins initially set up the store in San Francisco and later expanded.

‘The North Face® legend ironically begins on a beach. To be precise: the North Beach district of San Francisco, at an altitude of only 50 meters above sea level.

‘It was here in 1966 that two hiking enthusiasts decided to follow their passions and founded a small mountaineering shop.

“In 1968, The North Face moved across the Bay from San Francisco, to the unbridled possibilities of the Berkeley area, and began designing and manufacturing its own brand of technical clothing and mountaineering equipment.”

In 2000, the Tompkins sold their shares to retail giant VF Corporation, which also owns brands such as Vans, Timberland and JanSport, for $25.4 million.

With the closure of the San Fran store, the brand will now maintain just a handful of stores in the Bay Area, including in Santa Clara, Berkeley, Walnut Creek and Palo Alto.

It is unclear whether the brand will open a store at another location in San Francisco.

Although the rock climbing and camping supplies company was founded in this city way back in 1964, the Union Square store is its only existing location

With the closure of the San Fran store, the brand will now maintain just a handful of stores in the Bay Area, including in Santa Clara, Berkeley, Walnut Creek and Palo Alto.

It is unclear whether the brand will open a store at another location in San Francisco

News of the closure comes a week after Macy’s announced it would be closing the doors of its Union Square store.

The store said it will close its doors after 77 years as part of a plan to close 150 locations across the country over the next three years.

Although no specific reason was given for the decision, employees at the store said The San Francisco Standard they believe the decision was made because of daily shoplifting, with thieves taking at least four blazers, ten wallets and twenty packs of underwear every day.

Employee Steve Dalisay, who has worked at Macy’s for 20 years, said these are the most commonly stolen items from the men’s department on the store’s sixth floor.

“I think it just takes leadership,” Dalisay told The Standard. “The mayor just needs to say that we will not tolerate this in the city.”

While the building is expected to be sold within a year, the store won’t close completely for about three years, Dalisay told management Tuesday.

Another employee, who works in the women’s department on the fourth floor, also blamed “theft and people not coming in” for the closure.

News of the closure comes a week after Macy’s announced it would be closing the doors of its Union Square store

The Union Square location will remain open until at least 2025, or whenever a buyer can be found, according to Breed’s statement, which was about sentiment rather than considering the city’s problems.

A third worker added that thieves often go after men’s Ralph Lauren Polo, women’s North Face and Levi’s clothing.

Mayor London Breed, who is running for re-election and is currently in hot water according to recent polls, has overseen an ongoing decline in San Francisco’s economy and the prevalence of homelessness and overdoses on its streets.

“As someone who grew up in San Francisco, Macy’s has always meant a lot to the people of this city. It’s where families came to shop for the holidays,” Breed said.

The reactions on social media were heavily negative and mentioned the many problems and previous escapes of companies from the city.

‘They leave because no one lives here. The city center has become barren because of you,” wrote an X user.

“The seeds have been sown, the results can be harvested,” another added.

The reactions on social media were heavily negative and mentioned the many problems and previous escapes of companies from the city

San Francisco is reeling from rising crime, downtown emptying and residents moving to safer, cheaper areas

Homeless people return to the streets in the Tenderloins neighborhood, near San Francisco’s Moscone Center, where the APEC conference was recently held

Another referenced Breed’s upcoming election prospects: “I hope you’ve picked a spot because that’s the only job you’ll find come election time. You and your Dem friends did this.”

In San Francisco’s crime-ridden downtown, many shops and restaurants have closed since the drastic downfall, despite Breed trying to hype the statistics by claiming a drop in violations by 2023.

In October 2023, it was reported that seven Starbucks stores were planning to close as the city continues to struggle with crime, drug use and a homelessness epidemic.

In late August 2023, a video was released showing the recently closed flagship Nordstrom store in San Francisco, nearly barren after nearly three decades in business.

San Francisco has become infamous for homelessness, crime, theft and drugs in a post-pandemic decline

Headlines using the terms “garbage city,” “ruined city” and “fallen city” show how crippling drug problems and widespread homelessness problems remain a problem for residents.

A slew of the city’s restaurateurs cited crime, drugs and declining tourism as the main culprits killing their businesses, all on Valencia Street.

Right outside Nancy Pelosi’s federal building, drug dealers open their shops daily in full view of the public, with users injecting and smoking without interference from law enforcement.

A slew of the city’s restaurateurs cited crime, drugs and declining tourism as the main culprits killing their businesses, all on Valencia Street.

The thoroughfare, about a mile from the city’s embattled downtown, is considered one of the most sought-after restaurants in the Bay Area.

But for residents of San Francisco’s Mission District, the reality is very different. The area — like Union Square’s nearby “Doom Loop,” City Hall, and the Tenderloin and Mid Market neighborhoods — is a hive of unsavory, post-pandemic activity.

The city’s Ikea was nearly empty earlier this month as customers say ongoing construction, lack of parking and persistent crime on the surrounding streets keep them from shopping at the store.

The incumbent mayor, 49, had poor results in a new San Francisco Chronicle poll, which showed she would lose her office to the man who briefly held it before her, Mark Farrell, 50.