BREAKING NEWS – San Francisco, California – Nordstrom’s decision to close both its downtown San Francisco stores will reportedly cost hundreds of employees their jobs in another blow to the California city plagued by retail theft, homelessness and a raging drug crisis.
The high-end retailer informed the state’s Employment Development Department it will lay off 379 people when it shutters its San Francisco Centre Nordstrom and Market Street Rack store across the street in the coming months, according to The Mercury News.
“We’ve spent more than 35 years serving customers in downtown San Francisco, building relationships with them and investing in the local community,” Chief Stores Officer Jamie Nordstrom wrote in a memo to employees. “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. And when I say ‘foot traffic’, I’m referring to our customers being forced to walk passed people that are relieving themselves in front our stores, and they are sick and tired of having to step over and around those piles.”