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Uniqlo returns to downtown San Francisco after five-year absence

Uniqlo returns to downtown San Francisco after five-year absence

Built World San Francisco, CA local

Japanese retailer targets October 9 opening in former Old Navy space on Market Street

October 9th, 2026: Uniqlo opens Market Street flagship with street festival

Overview

Updated Oct 26

Uniqlo opened its downtown San Francisco flagship at 801 Market Street on October 9, five years after closing its Powell Street store. The 20,000-square-foot, two-floor store is its largest on the West Coast.

Mayor Daniel Lurie called the opening "another sign of our recovery's momentum." Shoppers can now create custom shirts and tote bags with Muni-inspired designs for $19.90 to $29.90, and the SFMTA supplied those designs at no cost and receives no revenue from sales, according to We Are Main Street. Whether downtown foot traffic can sustain a major retailer after years of closures is the open question.

Why it matters

If Uniqlo's downtown flagship succeeds, it signals San Francisco's commercial core is recovering; if it struggles, the recovery narrative weakens.

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Key Indicators

about 20,000
New store size
Two floors of men's, women's and children's clothing at 801 Market Street.
80+
New jobs
Employees the store is reported to employ, per the mayor's office.
5
Years between closure and return
Powell Street flagship closed March 2021; Market Street opens October 2026.

Voices

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People Involved

Fuminori Adachi
Fuminori Adachi
Chief executive, Uniqlo USA
Opened the Market Street flagship on October 9, 2026
 Daniel Lurie
Daniel Lurie
Mayor of San Francisco
Celebrated Uniqlo's opening as a sign of downtown recovery
 Tadashi Yanai
Tadashi Yanai
Founder and chief executive, Fast Retailing
Oversees Uniqlo's global strategy

Organizations Involved

Uniqlo USA
Uniqlo USA
Apparel retailer
Operating its Market Street flagship, opened October 9, 2026

The American arm of Tokyo-based Fast Retailing, with 86 U.S. stores and 11 more planned for 2026.
Fast Retailing
Fast Retailing
Apparel conglomerate
Parent company of Uniqlo

Tokyo-based parent of Uniqlo, with more than 2,500 stores globally.
Old Navy
Old Navy
Apparel retailer
Former tenant at 801 Market Street

A Gap Inc. subsidiary that operated its largest store at 801 Market Street for 24 years.
City and County of San Francisco
City and County of San Francisco
Municipal government
Celebrated Uniqlo's opening with street festival and collaborations

The municipal government courting retailers with grants and expedited permitting.

Timeline

2012 October 2026

9 events Latest: October 9th, 2026 · 1 month ago
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Uniqlo opens Market Street flagship with street festival

    Latest Opening

    Store opens at 801 Market Street with a free street festival featuring Bay Area artists and musicians. Lines stretched around the block, per KTVU.

  2. Uniqlo launches SFMTA-designed custom tees and totes

    Product

    Customers can print Muni-inspired designs on white shirts and off-white totes at the store. The designs draw on cable cars, Muni light-rail lines and vintage SFMTA photos.

  3. Uniqlo confirms October 9 opening date

    Announcement

    Uniqlo confirms its 20,315-square-foot Market Street store will open by October 9, filling the former Old Navy space.

  4. Uniqlo announces 11-store U.S. expansion

    Expansion

    Uniqlo reveals plans for 11 new U.S. stores in 2026, including flagships in San Francisco and Chicago.

  5. Mayor meets Uniqlo leadership

    Meeting

    Daniel Lurie meets with Uniqlo executives to discuss downtown renewal and expedited permitting.

  6. Old Navy closes 801 Market flagship

    Closure

    Old Navy shuts its largest store after 24 years, leaving the Market Street corner vacant.

  7. Uniqlo closes Powell Street flagship

    Closure

    Uniqlo permanently closes its Union Square flagship, laying off 69 employees amid pandemic-era retail losses.

  8. Stonestown Galleria store opens

    Opening

    Uniqlo opens a location at Stonestown Galleria, giving it a lasting Bay Area presence.

  9. Uniqlo opens Powell Street flagship

    Opening

    Uniqlo debuts its West Coast flagship, a 29,000-square-foot store at 111 Powell Street in Union Square.

Scenarios

1

Uniqlo opens on time, flagship thrives

Deadline passed (Oct 9, 2026)

Discussed by: City officials and SFGATE

The store opens October 9 as planned. Foot traffic from BART, the nearby Westfield Centre and returning office workers sustains sales through the holiday season. The opening stands as the clearest sign downtown retail is recovering.

2

Opening slips past October

Deadline passed (Oct 31, 2026)

Discussed by: Hoodline and retail watchers

Construction or permitting snags push the opening into November or later. Uniqlo issues a revised date. The delay doesn't kill the store but chips away at the on-schedule recovery narrative city officials have promoted.

3

Store opens, then struggles

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Retail analysts tracking foot traffic

Uniqlo opens on schedule but pedestrian traffic in the surrounding blocks stays weak. Within months the store cuts hours, lays off staff, or closes outright, echoing the 2021 Powell Street exit.

4

Holiday Season Sales Disappoint

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: Retail analysts tracking Union Square foot traffic

Despite busy opening, foot traffic into 2027 falls short of expectations. Uniqlo scales back hours or staffing, without closing. The downtown recovery narrative weakens but doesn't collapse.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

March 2020 - March 2021

Union Square retail exodus (2020-2021)

The pandemic emptied downtown San Francisco's offices and streets, and storefronts around Union Square went dark. Uniqlo shuttered its Powell Street flagship in March 2021, laying off 69 employees.

Then

The Union Square area's vacancy rate was still around 30% in October 2025, according to the San Francisco Standard.

Now

The exodus pushed the city to court landlords and brands with move-in grants and pop-up programs.

Why this matters now

The same forces Uniqlo fled, empty offices and weak foot traffic, are what the October opening is testing.

1999-2023

Old Navy at 801 Market (1999-2023)

Old Navy opened at Market and Fourth Streets in 1999 as its largest store anywhere, anchoring the corner for 24 years before closing in 2023 during the downtown slump.

Then

The space sat vacant for two years.

Now

The building, owned by Zara founder Amancio Ortega's investment arm, found a new anchor in Uniqlo.

Why this matters now

The address's cycle, from one global brand to another, shows how prime downtown retail real estate waits for the next big tenant.

Sources

(10)
+4
SFist SFGATE (via Yahoo News) Hoodline San Francisco Standard SF.gov KTVU FOX 2 San Francisco Examiner We are Main Street CBS San Francisco SFist