The Safeway supermarket chain has announced that it will close down one of its key locations in San Francisco in February due to concerns that customers and employees were at risk from rampant theft and threats to their safety.
The closure, which had been put off for 11 months, will affect the Safeway store on Webster Street in the Fillmore section of San Francisco, which had been operating for the last 40 years.
The company said that the store will close for good on Feb. 7, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.
Last month, shocking images surfaced showing a California man assaulting a female employee at a different Safeway location in San Francisco.
Safeway joins a list of big-name retailers that have shuttered stores in the city, which has been plagued in recent years by an alarming decline in the quality of life as well as stubbornly high cost of living, soaring taxes and increased incidents of organized retail theft, homelessness and public drug use.
Adidas, Macy’s, Zara, Nordstrom, Old Navy, Sephora, Hollister, Aldo, J. Crew and Whole Foods are among the brand names that have either announced store closures or that have already shrunken their footprint in the city.
Safeway, a subsidiary of the Albertsons supermarket conglomerate, told the Chronicle that it was “proud” of its history of servicing the Fillmore and Japantown neighborhoods of the city over the course of four decades.
The company said it initially intended to close the store earlier this year but put off the move so as to “provide a greater transition period for the community.”
Safeway said the decision was made “due to ongoing concerns about associate and customer safety, as well as persistent issues with theft.”
Locals in the area have frequently complained to police about car break-ins, assaults, loitering and illegal dumping, according to the Chronicle.
All of the store’s unionized employees will be reassigned to several of the 15 supermarkets that it operates throughout San Francisco, the company said.
“We remain committed to serving San Francisco at our 15 remaining locations, and to ensure that our unionized workforce can perform their jobs in safe and secure working environments,” Safeway told the Chronicle.
Neighborhood residents waged a fierce public campaign to lobby the company not to shutter the store back in March, as was originally intended.
Local leaders have warned that Safeway’s departure would adversely impact other businesses in the area while leaving residents with a dearth of grocers within walking distance.
Safeway told the Chronicle that it was “actively working on a transition plan to ensure a smooth and secure closure of the store, while allowing for continued access and traffic flow to neighboring businesses.”
“These are difficult decisions we make as a business with more than 255 stores across Northern California, and we do not take it lightly,” the store said in a statement.
“We appreciate the time and resources you’ve invested in trying to help us find a way to stay open, but unfortunately, the challenges we face are too great to overcome.”
San Francisco’s outgoing Mayor London Breed said she was “saddened” by the announcement, saying the Safeway “has played a central role in bringing community together.”
Daniel Lurie, the mayor-elect and Levi Strauss heir who defeated Breed, has pledged to beef up the city’s police presence and to shut down open-air drug market. He will be sworn in as mayor on Jan. 8.
The Post has sought comment from Safeway, Breed and Lurie.
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