Nordstrom has announced plans to close two stores in San Francisco due to a surge in street crime in the area. The closure of the two department stores in the city’s Union Square neighborhood will result in the layoff of 380 employees, the company said.
The company cited “a persistent increase in street crime” as the reason for the closure. The company said that it has tried to address the problem in various ways, including enhanced security measures, but that the violence has so far not been fully contained.
The closure of the stores will bring an end to a 42-year presence in San Francisco. The company said it will try to relocate employees to its other stores in the Bay Area.
The news comes as San Francisco struggles with a crime wave that has been linked to the city’s homeless population, which has grown significantly in recent years. This surge in crime has been compounded by the termination of San Francisco’s police shootings review board by the city’s mayor in June.