Nordstrom is shuttering its last two San Franciso stores as the leftist city continues its real-time decline. The Westfield San Francisco Centre will close in August, while another smaller store across the street will close on the first day of July. They are just two more in the long list of stores and companies leaving the city searching for less-dangerous pastures.
Jamie Nordstrom, the company’s chief stores officer, said this according to the Daily Wire:
“Decisions like this are never easy, and this one has been especially difficult. But as many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully.”
Nordstrom doesn’t need to make excuses or give a reason. A simple walk through almost any part of San Francisco displays exactly why businesses are fleeing. Open-air drug use, rampant homelessness, feces on the street, and smash-and-grab crime are common. Who wants to shop in those conditions?
Nordstrom joins the exit from San Francisco, due to “rampant criminal activity,” following the closure of Whole Foods, Walgreens and other stores similar reasons.
If you live near SF, what is it like now compared to 5 years ago? pic.twitter.com/LY9hZxYb1Z
— Wall Street Silver (@WallStreetSilv) May 3, 2023
Mayor London Breed and numerous other Democrat leaders called for defunding the police after the destructive protests of 2020. Since then, crime has spiked, arrests have plummeted, and the results of bad policy are evident. Many major red cities suffer from the same bad policy that San Francisco is, as defunding the police was one of the worst, most destructive movements in modern history.
Nordstrom isn’t leaving the area for good; just fleeing San Francisco. They are planning to expand across the bay. Other retailers like Whole Foods, Walgreens, Best Buy, and corporations, including Oracle and Tesla, have fled San Francisco and California in general.
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A spokesperson for the Westfield Mall where the closing Nordstrom’s are located, voiced their concern:
“We have urged the city to find solutions to the key issues and lack of enforcement against rampant criminal activity,” the spokesperson added. “The current environment is not sustainable for the community, or businesses, and we are hopeful the city will implement the changes that are so urgently needed.”
These complaints have fallen on deaf ears, and businesses are fleeing the city en mass. The Whole Foods locations closed due to the large amount of open-air drug use outside their store.
While drug use is bad enough, “smash and grab” crime has skyrocketed. Often store security, if there is any, can only sit idly by and watch. They are either overwhelmed by the numbers or afraid of repercussions if they attempt to stop any thieves. Liberal prosecutors in cities like San Francisco are known for prosecuting innocent people just trying to protect themselves while allowing violent criminals to walk free.
It is sad that a city as beautiful as San Francisco is being allowed to rot before our eyes, but it isn’t just ‘Frisco. Record murder rates in Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, and many other large, Democrat cities have made them off-limits for most Americans. Sadly, many that live there can’t leave, but Nordstrom can, and they are. Until we get top-down change, it doesn’t look to get any better.