One prominent location that was left out of Macy’s complete list of stores that will close this year was the retail chain’s flagship store in Union Square, San Francisco, which was announced on Friday.
Nearly a year after the retailer confirmed in late February 2024 that the Union Square store was one of the 30% of Macy’s stores that the business will close by 2027, the fresh list of “underperforming” sites scheduled to close in the upcoming year was released.
Following the first Macy’s statement, the Business Times reported that the retailer intends to continue operating the store at 170 O’Farrell St. until it finds a buyer for the real estate it owns.
One of the biggest and most established Macy’s locations is at Union Square. Since opening in early March 1929, when the business was known as O’Connor, Moffat & Co., it has served as the focal point of the well-known San Francisco shopping district for almost a century.
When the planned closure was first announced, the Union Square Alliance—a group of shop owners in the neighborhood’s 27-block radius—and city officials, including then-Mayor London Breed, expressed outrage.
Breed said in a statement, “It’s difficult to imagine Macy’s no longer being a part of our city.”
This year’s holiday celebrations at Union Square had a hint of nostalgia as locals in San Francisco pondered whether this would be the final time the Macy’s shop would be the focal point of the city’s Yuletide festivities.
However, since the pandemic, the Union Square shopping district has faced its share of challenges, such as the well-known retail crime spree in 2021 that targeted almost a dozen businesses and prompted Breed and the San Francisco police department to increase officer patrols and use community ambassadors.
A Tracy youngster who is facing attempted murder and enhancement charges, as well as other counts, shot 49ers rookie wide receiver Ricky Pearsall in the chest during an attempted armed robbery last summer, drawing further unwanted attention to the community.
Three Macy’s stores in the Bay Area were on the retailer’s list of closures, but the iconic San Francisco Macy’s was left intact. The two currently open Macy’s stores on the list that will soon close are the Corte Matera Macy’s store and the Newark Macy’s store in the NewPark Mall, even though the updated list stated that the Macy’s Furniture Gallery in San Mateo had already been closed and relocated to the Hillsdale Mall department store.
According to the list, the other two Northern California Macy’s locations that were scheduled to close during the first quarter of the 2025 fiscal year were the one at Sunrise Mall in Citrus Heights and the one in downtown Sacramento.
Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.