SAN FRANCISCO – Union Square has a new tenant.
Revitalizing Union Square
What we know:
A brand-new Nintendo store opened its doors to the public on Thursday, and the City of San Francisco is saying this is part of a revitalization of the area.
We’ve all heard the reports of businesses closing down. Now the city is hoping for an extra life, with the Nintendo store drawing people to Union Square.
Doug Bowser, president of Nintendo America, said he’s happy the video game company found a home in San Francisco.
“Being here in historic Union Square puts us literally in the heart of San Francisco,” said Bowser.
San Francisco’s Mayor, Daniel Lurie, said the store is another step in rebuilding Union Square to be a shopping destination.
“I know that this store is going to bring locals,” said Lurie. “But, it’s going to draw visitors from across California, across the country, and across the world.”
The opening drew fans to Union Square, with long lines waiting to get inside and check out what the store had to offer.
Fans say it’s turned a shopping trip into an experience.
“That’s the whole thing that Nintendo wanted to do, and they built this whole thing based on it, and here we are,” said Kimmie.
“This is a huge deal,” said Michelle Javier. “There is only, right now, the other Nintendo store is located in New York City, and this happens to be the second store here in the United States. So, you can imagine, it’s a huge deal.”
Changing landscape
The Nintendo store is just the latest brand to call Union Square home after Macy’s and Saks announced they’d be closing their locations. Zara has plans to move into the area next year, and Shoe Palace has already opened across the street from Nintendo.
Shoppers say that with everything available online, the key to drawing them to the area is making it an experience to remember.
“So, here I can just come in, pick it up, look at it a couple of times,” said Javier, looking through the Adidas section of Shoe Palace. “Put it down, come back, pick it up, and decide, make a decision.”
The opening of the new Nintendo store is just the beginning. Nintendo is expected to launch the Nintendo Switch 2 on June 5, so you can expect fans to show up here to celebrate.
