San Francisco’s Saks Fifth Avenue turns to appointment-based shopping only

SAN FRANCISCO – Saks Fifth Avenue in San Francisco’s Union Square will shift to appointment-based shopping only next month.

Starting on Aug. 28, shoppers will no longer be able to walk into the store to shop.

In a statement sent to KTVU, a spokesperson for Saks wrote:

“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. 

“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. We look forward to serving our San Francisco customers with this new experience.”

Most shoppers in the area on Friday didn’t like the move, as the area is heavily populated by tourists who said they wouldn’t make an appointment. Locals agreed. 

“If I want to go shopping, I go in, and I go shopping,” said Nanette, a San Francisco resident who works in Union Square. “If I want to go in Saks, I’d like to be able to just go in whenever I wanna go, not set up an appointment or look at the pair of shoes.”

Union Square has struggled to recover post-pandemic, as many stores have shut their doors due to crime and low foot traffic. But many don’t think either is to blame for the shift at Saks. 

“It’s a sign of the times,” Nanette said. “You shop on Amazon, you shop on blahblahblah.com.”

In a statement sent to KTVU, David Perry, a spokesperson for the Union Square alliance said:

“We are seeing retailers with high-end clientele offering appointment service. Saks Fifth Avenue stores in Napa and Palo Alto have already made the transition to appointment-only operations. 

“We look forward to Saks continuing to be a part of Union Square’s luxury market as they find innovative ways to serve their customers and navigate through this transition.”

Saks Fifth Avenue already uses appointment-based shopping at their stores in Napa and Palo Alto.