Uniqlo is coming back to downtown San Francisco.
Four years after it closed its Union Square store, the Japanese retailer announced that it will reopen next year at 801 Market St., formerly the site of Old Navy’s flagship store.
It’s one of 11 new stores the brand will open across the U.S., the company said.
Uniqlo’s three-floor flagship at 111 Powell St. closed in 2021 amid a dramatic retail exodus from downtown. That location remains empty.
The news comes as the Union Square area has started to regain leasing momentum. A host of stores have opened in recent months, including Asian retailers Pop Mart and Nintendo (opens in new tab) and luxury menswear shop John Varvatos.
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Mayor Daniel Lurie described Uniqlo’s return as “another sign SF is on the rise,” in a post on social media (opens in new tab). He credited his administration’s focus on cleanliness, safety, and “cutting red tape” for the return of retailers.
Still, downtown SF is far from fully recovered. The Union Square area’s vacancy rate hovers at around 30%. The San Francisco Centre mall across from the new Uniqlo location has lost more than 90% of its tenants.
Uniqlo currently has one location in San Francisco, at the Stonestown Galleria. The nearest location to downtown is across the Bay Bridge at the Bay Street Emeryville mall.
The brand’s new location at 801 Market St. previously hosted Old Navy for more than 20 years, before the brand closed in July 2023.
Correction: An earlier version of this story contained an incorrect address for the new store, provided by Uniqlo. The story has been updated with the correct address.