7 great places to shop for Christmas gifts in downtown San Francisco

Downtown San Francisco could use a little love. The area has roughly quadruple the retail vacancy (opens in new tab) rate of the rest of the city, and while buzzy new restaurants and cafes may signal better times ahead (opens in new tab), the reality is that times are tough in the city’s central business district.

So what better way is there to spread some holiday cheer than by spending your holiday dollars in the area?

While large department stores like Macy’s and Neiman Marcus that anchor Union Square have plenty to offer, we did a deeper dive to encourage your exploration of San Francisco’s urban core.

📍 117 Post St.
🔗 britexfabrics.com (opens in new tab)

There’s a lot of creativity in the Bay Area, so keep your recipient crafting thanks to some of the wonderfully unique goods on sale at the family-owned Britex Fabrics, a San Francisco legacy business (opens in new tab) that’s been selling bolts of cloth since 1952. We are particularly partial to the Britex-exclusive “I Left My Heart in San Francisco” print (opens in new tab) that has a pattern of great city landmarks—Britex included, of course. Give a few yards to your artsiest friend to inspire their next project.   

📍 100 California St.
🔗 natureskeeper.xyz (opens in new tab)

As a business that’s part of San Francisco’s “Vacant to Vibrant” program pitched to rescue a beleaguered Downtown, Nature’s Keeper is animating (opens in new tab) an otherwise empty space, and it’s doing it with sustainability in mind. Pick up one of the outdoor line’s hats (opens in new tab)—upcycled from old ski suits—or any of their funky mountain gear, which is perfect for the Tahoe-obsessed. 

📍 151 Jackson St.
🔗 yondershop.com (opens in new tab)

Open limited hours at 151 Jackson St. (opens in new tab), Yonder Shop is another Vacant to Vibrant initiative that includes handmade ceramics, textiles and work by artists, such as the hyper-joyful Risa Iwasaki Culbertson (opens in new tab). It’s a wonderfully local place to support Bay Area creatives. Head to the business’s sprawling Richmond District shop for an even larger selection.  

📍 250 Post St.
🔗 gumps.com (opens in new tab)

You can’t find a much more historic place to shop than Gump’s, a department store born out of the Gold Rush in 1861. The local love runs deep at the shop—which also has an adjacent holiday-specific storefront—and you can find many San Francisco-themed gifts on sale: Golden Gate Bridge cocktail napkins, city skyline trays and cable car mugs. But our favorite might be the wonderfully three-dimensional Lombard Street Christmas ornament (opens in new tab).

📍 45 Kearny St.
🔗 jeffreys.toys (opens in new tab)

For any pint-size gift recipients on your list, head to Jeffrey’s Toys on Kearny Street (opens in new tab) near Union Square. A fourth-generation family business, the independent shop has an especially broad selection of comics—in addition to toys for every age—and offers free gift wrap year-round. 

📍 307 Sutter St.
🔗 teuschersf.com (opens in new tab)

Teuscher chocolates might be made in Central Europe, but they’ve had a home for years on Sutter Street in Downtown San Francisco. The Swiss chocolatier is most famous for its champagne truffles (opens in new tab), which come in light and dark varieties and are made with real Dom Perignon—the perfect gift for your fancy friend.  To make it even fancier, Teuscher also specializes in elaborate displays, making it a fun place to shop in person (where you can also get free gift wrapping). 

📍 291 Geary St., #201
🔗 cuyana.com (opens in new tab)

The sustainably minded Bay Area brand Cuyana operates under the tagline “fewer, better” with the idea to buy higher-quality items (opens in new tab) that last longer, making a wallet from the business a perfect gift for the eco-conscious. Thus, you’ll find premium leather goods (opens in new tab)—bags, pouches, cases—as well as pre-loved items. The line’s first-ever brick-and-mortar shop opened in Downtown San Francisco and overlooks Union Square.