The Saks department store in San Francisco has announced a series of layoffs and will not be open to members of the public without a prior appointment.
In a statement to The San Francisco Chronicle, a Saks spokesperson framed the changes as a way of optimizing the store experience:
We’re always looking for innovative ways to optimize our store experience to match luxury consumers’ evolving expectations, including by meeting our customers where and how they want to shop with us.
With that, beginning Aug. 28, we are transforming our Saks Fifth Avenue San Francisco store to operate by appointment only, enabling associates to offer customers more refined services tailored to their preferences. We look forward to serving our San Francisco customers with this new experience.
Nordstrom left its downtown San Francisco store near Union Square last year after nearly 30 years. Meanwhile, other major retailers like North Face and Macy’s, which has a large flagship store on O’Farrell Street, have also exited or announced plans to leave the area.
While the spokesperson did not provide details on why the store was implementing these changes, a source told the paper that it was likely a result of the city’s “challenging” retail environment.
As long reported by The Gateway Pundit, the situation in San Francisco has become so severe that many retail outlets have been forced to close their doors.
In addition to California’s notoriously high taxes, shoplifting has become defacto legalized across the entire state, enabling criminal gangs to steal millions of dollars worth of items without risk of punishment.
Nordstrom closed its San Francisco store near Union Square last year after nearly 30 years. Meanwhile, other major retailers like North Face and Macy’s, which has a large flagship store on O’Farrell Street, have also exited or announced plans to leave the area.
