Latest news with #MilkTee
Daily Mail
07-07-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
San Francisco's biggest mall loses another clothing store in relentless exodus
Zara has shuttered for good at a struggling San Francisco mall - the latest in a string of closures. The fashion retailer closed its location in San Francisco Centre last month, despite its lease being set to expire in 2027. An unidentified former employee told the San Francisco Examiner that Zara cleared out on June 20, and all its windows were covered a few days later. The 27,500-square-foot space was one of the largest remaining stores left in the huge California mall, which has grown increasingly empty. Besides Zara, Milk Tee shuttered last month, citing the 'environment, high theft, and low sales' at the mall as reasons behind the closure. Other stores that have recently left the mall include Oak and Fort, AG Jeans, Nectar, Chalo, and Steve Madden. The shopping center, which was once home to over 200 stores, currently has less than 40 still operating and an open food court. The mall itself is set to be sold at auction on July 24, after five delays. Opening its doors in 1988, the structure was a nine-story building with the first spiral elevator, and created a San Franciscan phrase 'Meet me under the Dome.' During the early years, the mall's largest store was Nordstrom, which closed after nearly three decades in 2023. Bloomingdale's became the biggest after opening its doors in 2006, but like Nordstrom, the business shuttered this year blaming changes in the retail landscape. The center also said goodbye to brands like American Eagle, Adidas, and last year. American Eagle's closure made headlines after the chain claimed it had over 100 security incidents that occurred between May 2020 and May 2023. Some of the offenses included customers brandishing firearms and verbally assaulting employees. Besides fan-favorite fashion retailers, Burke Williams Day Spa left the mall after 20 years in February despite the company's A-list clientele. Bill Amour, president of the spa, explained that 'deteriorating' issues that 'forced out' other tenants were responsible for their decision. 'Today, the San Francisco Centre is operating with only a 20 percent to 30 percent tenancy factor... While we held on as long as possible, the reality is that we can no longer operate in a location where the city fails to provide for the safety and wellbeing of its people and businesses,' Amour said at the time. Several businesses have moved out of the shopping complex due to the increase in crime concerns and homelessness Downtown San Francisco has continued to battle open air drug taking Besides the San Francisco Centre, luxury brands have closed stores in Union Square, which is less than 10 minutes away from the mall. The North Face's Union Square store shuttered last year, and the rise in crime and drug activity were rumored factors behind the closure. Saks Fifth Avenue bid farewell to its Union Square location in May after its parent company merged with Neiman Marcus Group last year. The Macy's store in Union Square is on the company's list of 150 store shutters. Former San Francisco Mayor London Breed was heartbroken about the news despite the business being overrun by criminals.
Daily Mail
21-06-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
San Francisco's biggest mall loses another clothing store as businesses battle theft and run-down environment
San Francisco's largest mall continues to flounder as yet another store has pulled out, citing high levels of theft. Milk Tee, a women's clothing retailer, announced last week that it would soon be moving out of the mall after five years. 'It is with great sadness that we announce the difficult decision to close our store location here in San Francisco,' the business revealed on Instagram. 'Unfortunately, due to the lack of improvement for businesses in the city's environment, high theft, and low sales overall at San Francisco Centre, it has driven us to take on this difficult decision.' The store is currently offering a 30 percent off sale of its entire contents. The mall in San Francisco's downtown has struggled to deal with the area's descent into lawless homeless camps with open air drugs markets and high levels of theft following the pandemic. The San Francisco Centre mall has shed many of its other retailers. Recent major losses include Bloomingdale's, Razer, Kate Spade and Michael Kors. The exodus has been ongoing for years, with Adidas and American Eagle closing their doors in January and May of last year, respectively. Other high-profile departures include L'Occitane, Sephora, J. Crew, Hollister, and the Lego Store. The mall itself is set to be sold at auction on July 24, The San Francisco Chronicle reported. This is the fifth time the auction has been rescheduled, but reasons for the delay are unclear. The mall, previously known as the Westfield San Francisco Centre, was renamed last year in an effort to rejuvenate its tired image. 'During the Centre's 128-year history, it has evolved with the times to sustain and reinvent itself as a community gathering place,' its owner Trident Pacific said in a release at the time. Trident took over the running of the mall from Westfield in the summer of 2023 after it defaulted on its loans. The mall had also faced legal action from American Eagle which claimed that mismanagement and 'neglect' from the mall has left its employees to 'suffer and respond to gun violence, physical assaults, burglaries, and robberies.' 'We're committed to working with our existing retailers and restaurants, the City, and the community to ensure that this historic location has a new foundation to succeed,' the mall said at the time. Michael Kors has closed its store in the struggling downtown area Downtown San Francisco retail continues to suffer as a result of the area's rampant crime and shoplifting epidemic. Market Street, where the mall is located, has become a haven for open drug use and homeless encampments. Earlier this year Sephora shuttered its Laurel Heights location in the city, and Macy's announced the closure of its stores in Newark and Corte Madera. 2023 was the deadliest year on record for drug deaths largely thanks to the proliferation of fentanyl. Progressive 'harm reduction' policies which don't penalize hard drug use have been blamed for worsening the crisis.
San Francisco Chronicle
14-06-2025
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
S.F.'s biggest mall loses another clothing store as building's auction is delayed again
San Francisco Centre, the city's biggest mall, is losing yet another store. Clothing retailer Milk Tee is closing after five years. 'Unfortunately, due to the lack of improvement for businesses in the city's environment, high theft, and low sales overall at San Francisco Centre, it has driven us to take on this difficult decision,' the company wrote on Instagram. Products are discounted by 30% to 50%. Dozens of stores including Bloomingdale's, Razer and Kate Spade have left the mall, which had been set to go to auction next week. But the auction was delayed until July 24 — the fifth time it's been rescheduled — according to a listing on First American Title Insurance Company. Reasons for the delay are unclear. In contrast, Japantown and Stonestown Galleria malls are seeing a business boom and new store and restaurant openings. Retail experts credit new Asian retailers, parking and lower crime in those malls for their success.
