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San Francisco – The shopping beat still goes on
This month our resident retail specialist Karl McKeever of Visual Thinking visits San Francisco to see if the celebrated city of cultural diversity and visual splendour still has the retail offer to match in the post-recession climate.
San Francisco is one of those destinations that most people can't wait to visit. For many, the cityscape is more famous and impressive than its bigger state cousin, Los Angeles. A host of iconic buildings and memorable landmarks such as the notorious Alcatraz prison and the Golden Gate Bridge conjure up movies such as the hilarious Funny Girl and cult 1970s cop show, The Streets of San Francisco. As such, it's easy to think of San Francisco as somewhere you have visited even when you haven't!
Unlike many American cities where the area known as 'Downtown' is the main retail attraction, in SFO this area is compact and represents only a few small city blocks, when you discount the spectacular buildings of the towering Financial District. That's because the city is part of what's known as the San Francisco Bay Area.
The city sits at the centre of a horseshoe-shaped coastline surrounded by the Pacific Ocean. Smart commuter neighbourhoods swell the local population each day with cars, trains and ferries bringing in millions of workers. Oakland and Berkeley are across the less featured but still spectacular Bay Bridge to the North East, the Californian wine region and Sausalito are north across the Golden Gate Bridge and the wealth of Silicon Valley is but twenty miles to the south.
As a result, it's the many diverse neighbourhoods of SFO that define the shopping areas of the city. As such, a visitor should be prepared to get a good street map and get walking! But to save time, why not ask your taxi driver for these key locations or programme your in-car GPS accordingly. You can also reach them by travelling on one of the original San Francisco cable cars, which have survived as a city treat since they were introduced in 1873.
Downtown Shopping
Whilst relatively small, be in no doubt, this is the heart of the retail district. Here, crossing the street between 2nd and 3rd Streets to the haphazard plan nearby, reveals all the biggest brands where the deepest pockets make their mark in the city. The main thoroughfare of Market Street begins at The Embarcadero in front of the Ferry Building and runs to the famous Castro district.
San Francisco clothing chain Gap has an impressive flagship store here and with cable cars to the popular tourist area of Fisherman's Wharf terminating directly outside, this has to be one of the most prominent retail locations in the city.
This two-floor Gap store is generally very effective. Whilst nothing special in terms of store design (being somewhat outdated), the product and VM is bold and impactful and currently features the company's campaign for its 1969 Denim range.
Sister company Old Navy was trialling a new shop-in-shop accessories concept. Built within the existing store, it has its own retail design and VM look, creating a destination of value priced, colour coordinated items. Accessorize it's not, but it will be interesting to see whether and how the idea is rolled out to other stores in future.
Opposite Old Navy sits the now dark and once busy Virgin Megastore, a major casualty of the recession now closed for some nine months. For the most part, this huge space lies forlorn and empty although recent carving suggests how the site could well be reshaped in future.
Westfield San Francisco Centre
Adjacent to Market Street is the newly upgraded San Francisco Centre, the biggest of the SFO metro area shopping malls. Originally opened in 1988, the Westfield Group purchased the property and completed a major extension and comprehensive refurbishment. After reopening in 2006, the upgraded mall bears the latest and now familiar Westfield characteristics, being recently nominated in 2009 as one of the world's best shopping centres.
Host to 170 stores, it includes branches of fashion chains such as American Eagle, Abercrombie & Fitch, J. Crew, Kate Spade and Karen Millen etc. Designer brands include Herve Leger, BOSS Hugo Boss, Max & Co, Calvin Klein and it also features the store by Banana Republic, providing limited-edition nation's first Edition accessories. A super luxurious new Bloomingdales department store complements the Nordstrom store which has anchored the original San Francisco Centre since its opening.
Union Square Shops
Around the corner, is Stockton Street. Here, the story is somewhat different. A busy branch of the Apple store anchors one end running up to the landmark district of Union Square.
Union Square is San Francisco's Mecca for designer brand shopaholics. It's here that you will find Macy's, Saks and Neiman Marcus department stores and Levi's and Niketown are also nearby. Look out for homewares retailer CB2 (the trendy offshoot of popular national retailer Crate & Barrel), which has opened around the corner to Apple. Surrounding streets compete for the limited but prime retail space and feature boutiques for Coach, Bulgari, Cartier, Pink, Louis Vuitton, Max Mara, Emporio Armani, Prada, Gucci and Hermes - phew!
Chinatown
Enter through the dramatic Dragon Gates to access another exciting San Francisco shopping district - Chinatown, which is located between North Beach and Union Square. Here importers sell everything imaginable including carved Buddhas, paper lanterns and ornate furniture along with all kinds of gaudy tourist fodder. For a sweet surprise, the Fortune Cookie Factory on Ross Alley is a cool find.
Chestnut Street Shops
Heading out into the residential neighbourhoods, next to Pacific Heights is Chestnut Street. Unique and offbeat in nature, Chestnut Street retains a distinctive neighbourhood feel.
Here shoppers and locals find a host of trendy boutiques and well-known retailers, like Lucky Brand Jeans, The Body Shop and Apple. Williams-Sonoma, a neighbourhood fixture offers fine cookware, utensils and cookbooks. On any day, Chestnut Street is bustling with shoppers, professionals meeting for coffee or 'moms' with strollers shopping at Baby Gap. This cosy San Francisco neighbourhood provides a sophisticated ambience and is convenient for quick and easy shopping.
Fillmore Street Shops
Fillmore Street is set within a leafy residential area not far from Japan Town. It's a picturesque part of the city, which maintains an air of cosy charm and simplicity, while serving up designer brand names for a luxurious and high-end lifestyle.
Well-known beauty houses have set up stores here including Kiehls and Benefit San Francisco, alongside fashion stores like Marc from Marc Jacobs and interior design stores such as Zinc Details and Design Within Reach from New York.
Polk Street Shops
Polk Street is one of the most individual and divergent shopping neighbourhoods in San Francisco, offering a blend of high-end boutiques and affordable stores. The best and safest shopping experience starts just north of California Street. Two of my favourite shops in the area have a distinctly artisan feel - the African Outlet, which as the name suggests, sells everything African; and Peace Industry, which makes and sells amazing felt rugs in muted, subtle modern designs.
Like most cities in the western world, San Francisco has seen casualties as a result of the recession. However its diversity, which is still mirrored 100 per cent in its retail offer, makes it a truly exciting retail destination. As I've mentioned before, the best cities to shop in often have a real identity, with German cities usually doing this best. San Francisco also does this well, with its eclectic mix of people and cultures exuding from its shops.
San Francisco has so many shopping districts that are easy to reach and get around - and collectively they cater for diverse audiences both culturally and financially. Shoppers want surprises in their outings and this city is an example to retailers worldwide in its ability not to disappoint. It shows how big brands can sit next to artisan craftsmen and also how high and low-end retailers can sit happily together. This city captures the enjoyment of retail and avoids being just a big corporate machine - and I have to say that it looks very good for it, in spite of the odd recession scar.