Amid Friday afternoon’s heat, the five posh floors of Saks Fifth Avenue in San Francisco’s Union Square offered a cool elegance that belied the jarring news from the day before: the store is transitioning to an appointment-only model and laying off staff.
What will it feel like to go on pre-arranged shopping trips inside a sprawling department store? That is an open question for customers and staffers. As part of the transition slated for Aug. 28, the store will lay off an unspecified number of employees, according to the Chronicle, which first reported the changes.
Saks Fifth Avenue shoppers who chatted with The Standard were nearly universal in their lack of enthusiasm. Some bristled at the idea that the already high-end store seemed set on only catering to the super well-off.
Marlon Seaton, who had popped into Saks to sample colognes, thought the change would cut off a swath of potential shoppers.
When asked if he would consider making an appointment, his answer was swift and decisive: “Hell no.”
“I probably wouldn’t visit,” echoed Camilla Nielsen, a visitor from Denmark who had walked into Saks with her family while exploring Union Square. “I like being able to walk in randomly.”
Natali Bagamyan, a tourist from Switzerland, also doubted she would be browsing the floors without being able to stroll in casually.
She was eager to explore the store and its sales — a sign in the window advertised up to 70% off designer products — but wouldn’t have known to sign up for a visit ahead of time.
“Some shopping should feel like it has a bit of spontaneity,” she said. “If I need to have an appointment, I won’t do it. It’s a bit of a buzzkill.”
Michelle, a local former teacher who declined to share her last name, also thought the new system felt off.
“Appointment only? That’s pretty extreme,” she said. She couldn’t see herself making a reservation once the store switches its model, which she believes is geared toward a super-luxe shopper who just isn’t her.
“I don’t think I spend enough for them to even want to see me!” she said.
She planned to try on a shirt but said she isn’t a splurger. “My retail spending has really gone down since Covid, so I feel their pain,” she added. “But it makes me sad.”
The news comes at a time when Union Square has suffered from declining foot traffic and a surge of retail vacancies. Big-box retailers have struggled in San Francisco and around the country, prompting the city to proffer pop-up shops and free parking to add excitement and liveliness downtown.
Saks Fifth Avenue employees whom The Standard approached Friday declined to share their perspectives on the impending switch.
“I wish I could,” one employee said with raised eyebrows. Another said only that they were “shocked,” before directing The Standard to contact corporate representatives. A Saks spokesperson said the company is “always looking for innovative ways to optimize our store experience to match luxury consumers’ evolving expectations.”
While midmarket retailers like Uniqlo and Zumiez have closed in Union Square, the area remains a hub of opulence for high-end watches or Louis Vuitton bags — and the Saks announcement appears to play into that trend.
“We are seeing retailers with high-end clientele offering appointment service,” said David Perry, a spokesperson with the Union Square Alliance, adding that the group looks forward to Saks “continuing to be a part of Union Square’s luxury market.”
But that high-end focus is naturally less accessible. A Los Altos woman who declined to share her name said she felt affronted by Saks’ decision. “I’m disappointed,” she said. “It’s absurd, and it’s too pretentious.”
She and her husband had popped in to look around, as they generally do on swings through the city. She could not, however, imagine making an appointment ahead of time.
“I won’t come back; there’s absolutely no way I’ll come back, because I don’t know whether I’d be coming at 10 in the morning or 3:30,” she said. “It’s not good for San Francisco, and I think it will keep people away.”
To her, the shift signals that the store is becoming more exclusionary.
“They only want high-high-high-end clientele. If you’re not a multimillionaire, they don’t want you,” she said. “It’s a shame, but good luck to all the multimillionaires who come in here.”