San Francisco's thrift shoppers are in mourning today, as popular low-cost shopping mecca Thrift Town has called it quits after 45 years holding down the corner of 17th & Mission.
Rumors of the store's closure were initially reported by Mission Mission and confirmed by SF Weekly, which published a lengthy statement from the store's owners, the Norquist family.
"The local retail landscape is changing. Despite our ongoing efforts to meet the challenges of increased costs and declining sales, we are unable to generate the sales necessary to sustain our longstanding business in San Francisco," the store said in the statement. "The building's ownership has been very helpful and has tried hard to work with us on ways to keep our doors open, including a rent reduction."
The Norquists also expressed their gratitude to customers. "The memories are many, and no one is sadder than us."
Thrift Town's five other locations in the East Bay and Sacramento will continue to operate, as will out-of-state outposts.
On Twitter, many mourned the loss of the popular thrift store, long a source for creative costumes and ensembles for everyone from drag queens to Burning Man attendees.
Posted this a month ago.. today Thrift Town officially closed. Se me va mi Mision. My Mission is leaving pic.twitter.com/xl1vM93rxJ
— WrongBitch.com (@_fcg415) March 30, 2017
duuuude my friends and I made so many memories there!! sifting through racks and racks of old clothes ily thrift town 💔😢 https://t.co/WudxnX7nj2
— vanoodle (@enthusiasian) March 30, 2017
Thrift Town in the Mission closed 😭😭😭😭😭😭 literally over half of my closet is from there! I didn't even get to say goodbye😭😭😭😭😭😭
— Z (@Zoe_Alcalbae) March 30, 2017
Sad, the mighty Thrift Town is closing. Can't wait to see what kind of ugly luxury condos they turn it into to. #SanFranciscoisDead pic.twitter.com/dbMS2WdHG2
— Lardy Revenger (@LardyRevenger) March 30, 2017
So much good strange art came from that corner. If I was meeting someone at The Uptown, I'd get there early to hit Thrift Town. https://t.co/ASp6JpEW3A
— tendersociety (@tendersociety) March 30, 2017
@ThriftTown I have decades of fond memories with friends and family great store with great employees..r.i.p. sf thrifttown
— Leah Mondello (@LeahMondello) March 30, 2017