The retail exodus at San Francisco Centre mall continues as J. Crew plans to shut down their location on January 22. Following the recent closure of Hollister at the same mall, J. Crew's departure adds to a growing list of vacancies in the beleaguered shopping center. An anonymous employee, under the condition of anonymity, revealed to SFGATE that J. Crew's lease was expiring and the company decided against renewal.

This closure marks a continuation of J. Crew's nationwide downsizing effort. The troubled retailer, which filed for bankruptcy in May 2020 and emerged from it after a restructuring in September of the same year, has seen its store count dwindle from 181 retail stores and 170 factory stores early in 2020 to 120 retail locations as of November last year, as noted by SFist. Conversely, their factory stores have increased in number to 215, alongside 154 Madewell brand shops.

Approximately 30 employees are said to be affected by the J. Crew store closure, and while some have the option to transfer to other locations, it is not an assurance of stable hours or sufficient income. An employee with experience of prior closures expressed their challenges to SFGATE, saying, "All of those companies said at the time, 'Would you like to work at a different store?' But depending on the location, there's only so many hours that can be split up among employees, and they're not guaranteed. When they said I could transfer, it didn't mean I had a job or could live on what they were giving me."

The San Francisco Centre's struggles trace back to June when Westfield and Brookfield Properties ceased mortgage payments, attributing the decision to falling sales and decreased traffic. The shopping center has since seen various management changes, with Trident Pacific's Gregg Williams appointed as the new receiver and the real estate firm JLL taking on management and leasing in October. The future of the center remains uncertain, a fact that seems to loom over the tenant landscape, as described by the same employee to SFGATE: "The landscape at San Francisco Centre was uniquely challenging because of the public's lack of understanding around it's change in management, what's going on with tenants still operating there and what's next for the future of the shopping center."

With J. Crew departing, the SF Centre mall prepares to say goodbye to yet another retail outlet as shoppers and staff alike face a future fraught with uncertainty—a narrative all too familiar in the evolving retail sector.