Amazon’s Whole Foods In Downtown San Francisco Is Shut Down

Signage at the Whole Foods Market store in San Ramon, California reading “Whole Foods Market and … [+] Amazon”, announcing the acquisition of Whole Foods Market by online retailer Amazon, August 28, 2017. On August 28, 2017, Amazon completed its acquisition of the upscale grocery chain. (Photo via Smith Collection/Gado/Getty Images).

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The Whole Foods Market in Downtown San Francisco was shut down just 13 months after it was opened. This decision comes after the store reduced its operating hours due to high theft since last October according to the San Francisco Standard.

“We are closing our Trinity location for the time being”, a Whole Foods spokespersons said in a statement. “If we feel we can be sure of the safety of our team members in the store, we will evaluate a reopening of our Trinity location”.

Matt Dorsey, city supervisor, said he will introduce new legislation with Supervisor Catherine Stefani that would amend the City Charter to get the Police Department fully staffed within five years. The Whole Foods Market is located in Dorsey’s District.

The Whole Foods Market is 65,000 square feet in size and its opening was in March 2020, at the beginning of the pandemic. Some attribute the problem to the lack of foot traffic in the downtown area, after the pandemic started. According to a report in the SF paper there is an idea to convert vacant downtown office space into thousands of units of student housing.

San Francisco has been hurt by organized crime. Many retail companies, including Walgreen and Walmart
WMT
closed units there because of high theft and hostile visitors. New bathroom rules were effective as of last November, after syringes and pipes were found in restrooms.

VMSD reported that Walmart closed two stores in Portland in March. They are the final two locations in that city. It was noted that a clothing store also closed in that city. It was called Raind PDX. Small businesses (and larger) cannot sustain doing business in the city’s current state. “We have no protection or recourse against the criminal behavior that goes unpunished” states a letter posted on the company’s closed store. “Our city is in peril.”

POSTSCRIPT: The gang-like warfare that is overwhelming some of our cities is the result of lax governmental leadership. I have reported on Walmart closing stores in Chicago and there are many other stories that cross my desk. New York City’s forceful attention to incidents has kept that city alive. We hope the government everywhere will help control the vandalism, stealing and unbecoming behavior. This cannot go on.