San Francisco’s downtown shopping scene has taken another hit.
After five years of operating inside the city’s largest mall, women’s fashion retailer Milk Tee has officially announced it’s closing up shop—and the reasons, unfortunately, sound all too familiar.
The boutique took to Instagram with a heartfelt goodbye, explaining that the ongoing retail challenges, rampant theft, and disappointing sales at the San Francisco Centre made staying open simply impossible.
To clear out its inventory, the shop is now offering 30% off everything.
A Retail Hub in Decline
Once a bustling shopping destination, the San Francisco Centre has been on a steep decline.
It’s not just about fewer shoppers—it’s about an environment that’s become increasingly difficult for businesses to survive in.
Since the pandemic, the mall’s surroundings have become plagued by homelessness, drug use, and rising crime, making it harder for retailers to keep their doors open.
And Milk Tee is far from alone. Big-name brands like Bloomingdale’s, Razer, Michael Kors, and Kate Spade have all pulled out.
Before them, Adidas and American Eagle closed shop in early and mid-2023.
Even popular stores like Sephora, L’Occitane, Lego, and J. Crew have exited, adding to a long and growing list.
Mall Headed for Auction… Again
The mall, which has already changed hands after previous owners Westfield defaulted on loans, is now set to go up for auction on July 24.
This is the fifth time a sale date has been scheduled—and delayed—though no official reason has been given for the repeated postponements.
Now operated by Trident Pacific, the mall was renamed last year in a bid to shake off its worn image.
In a hopeful statement back then, Trident said the Centre had always evolved with the times and would continue to do so as a community hub.
But recent events tell a different story.
Crime, Neglect, and a Struggling Neighborhood
The deeper issue goes beyond just foot traffic or economic shifts.
According to former tenants like American Eagle, the mall was poorly managed, leaving store workers to face everything from gun violence to burglaries without adequate support.
The area around Market Street, where the mall sits, has become a focal point for San Francisco’s drug crisis and homelessness, making it an unappealing destination for shoppers.
Earlier this year, Sephora closed its Laurel Heights store, and Macy’s announced closures in Newark and Corte Madera, further highlighting a broader collapse of retail in the Bay Area.
A Citywide Crisis With No Clear End
The bigger picture paints a grim reality for downtown San Francisco.
A combination of progressive policies around drug use, a rise in fentanyl-related deaths, and a lack of retail protection has turned once-bustling neighborhoods into cautionary tales.
While city officials and mall owners promise to collaborate with the community and remaining businesses, the continuing wave of closures suggests that rebuilding trust and foot traffic won’t be easy—or quick.