Saks Fifth Avenue is switching its downtown San Francisco location to an appointment-only format beginning Aug. 28 in what is believed to be a first for a department store.
The move was reportedly prompted in large part by a rash of crime and a resulting decline in foot traffic in the Union Square shopping district where the store is located. The same circumstances already have prompted the closure of nearly 40 other retailers’ stores, including Macy’s, Anthropologie and Nordstrom. Shifting to appointment-only will allow the store to remain operational while mitigating shoplifting losses.
“We’re always looking for innovative ways to optimize our store experience to match luxury consumers’ evolving expectations, including by meeting our customers where and how they want to shop with us,” said a Saks Fifth Avenue spokesperson in comments shared with Retail TouchPoints. “With that, beginning Aug. 28, we are transforming our Saks Fifth Avenue San Francisco store to operate by appointment only, enabling associates to offer customers more refined services tailored to their preferences.”
Beyond the area’s high crime rate, Saks may have additional motivations for the shift. The company is currently expanding its high-end styling service The Fifth Avenue Club, which also operates as appointment-only. Two Fifth Avenue Clubs are located within driving distance of the San Francisco Saks store, in Palo Alto and Napa Valley, Calif.
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Saks’ parent company, HBC, also recently completed a years-long negotiation to acquire fellow luxury department chain Neiman Marcus. There is a Neiman Marcus location just around the corner from Saks Fifth Avenue’s Union Square store.
