Mayor Lurie Welcomes Uniqlo Back to Downtown With Free Street Festival, Collaborations With Muni, SFUSD Students, Local Artists

SAN FRANCISCO – Mayor Daniel Lurie today celebrated Uniqlo’s return to downtown San Francisco, ahead of the October 9 opening of a new flagship store at 801 Market Street, as retailers continue to open in the Union Square and Yerba Buena area. The 20,000-square-foot, two-story store at Fourth and Market will reactivate a long-vacant storefront, employing more than 80 people and drawing foot traffic and new energy to the neighborhood. Opening with a free street festival on Friday, October 9, the new store will offer exclusive merchandise designed in collaboration with the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency (SFMTA), the San Francisco Unified School District’s (SFUSD) Ruth Asawa San Francisco School of the Arts, and local artists fnnch and Lauren Martin.

Uniqlo’s return to downtown reflects the progress under Mayor Lurie’s Heart of the City plan to accelerate San Francisco’s economic recovery and revitalize downtown. This year alone, the Union Square and Yerba Buena neighborhoods have welcomed numerous new storefronts—including Vacant to Vibrant pop-ups, The RealReal, AT&T, BAPE, and McMullen—further signaling renewed investment and momentum in the area. Since the mayor took office, crime continues to go down in Union Square and the Financial District, 20 new liquor licenses have been added to support nightlife, office leasing is up 37%, and San Francisco now leads major U.S. cities in return-to-office rates. With office-to-housing conversions gaining momentum and universities like Vanderbilt investing in the city, downtown is becoming a neighborhood where people live, work, play, and learn.

“Downtown San Francisco is the heart of our city, and Uniqlo’s return is yet another sign of our recovery's momentum,” said Mayor Lurie. “Residents and visitors want to be here again, our streets are safer and cleaner, and we’re making it faster and easier for businesses to open. And Uniqlo is doing more than reopening its doors—they’re helping create the kind of vibrant, welcoming downtown we want to see, while celebrating San Francisco’s creativity and community. With a street festival and special merchandise made in partnership with local artists, SFMTA, and SFUSD students, they are showing what’s possible when businesses invest in our city and our people.”

Visitors to the new store can create unique t-shirts and tote bags or purchase exclusive designs building on Uniqlo’s collaborations with SFMTA, the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, and local artists fnnch and Lauren Martin. The store will also showcase a mural by fnnch, along with custom pieces designed by students from the Ruth Asawa School of the Arts, supported in part by a Uniqlo fabric donation to the school’s Fashion and Costume Department.  

“San Francisco has always been a place that inspires us—full of creativity, new ideas, and people who care deeply about their city,” said Fuminori Adachi, Uniqlo United States CEO. “Uniqlo is investing in downtown because we believe in its future and want to be part of the energy returning to the neighborhood. The city has been a thoughtful and supportive partner throughout the process, and we’re excited to bring a welcoming store experience to the people who live, work, and visit here.”

“Uniqlo’s opening is a huge win for Market Street and for San Francisco. We’ve spent years laying the groundwork for businesses to thrive and for downtown to grow into a true 24/7 neighborhood, and Uniqlo sees the momentum—new housing on the way, incredible transit access, exciting public events and activations, and major public-private partnerships fueling this transformation,” said Anne Taupier, Office of Economic and Workforce Development Executive Director. “The momentum is undeniable, and Uniqlo’s timing could not be better.”

“This collection is a love letter to San Francisco,” said Julie Kirschbaum, SFMTA Director of Transportation. “A vibrant downtown depends on people being able to get there, and Muni carries customers to every corner of this city including Market Street. We’re thrilled to partner with Uniqlo to offer a collection that reflects the transit system and city that our riders love.”

“Uniqlo’s presentation of student work across several disciplines in the new store honors the creativity and dedication of our students at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts and brings their work to a wider audience,” said Alex Lunt, Fashion and Costume Department Lead at Ruth Asawa School of the Arts. “In parallel, our Fashion and Costume program is partnering with Uniqlo on in-school materials-sharing projects focused on repurposed garments and denim, supporting professional level production methods alongside experimental technique.”

“Having my work featured in this Uniqlo launch honors the intention, time, and craft I put into making it,” said Mingus Blanco-Norberg, Ruth Asawa School of the Arts student. “I’m proud to share it with a wider audience alongside work by my peers from other disciplines at our school.”  

“I’m thrilled Uniqlo is back! It was an honor to collaborate with them, and I am excited for folks to see my largest-yet fully 3D Honey Bear,” said fnnch.

“Uniqlo’s return to San Francisco is a huge vote of confidence for Market Street and downtown,” said District 6 Supervisor Matt Dorsey. “This corner has historically been a vitally important crossroads for retail, tourism, and convention activity, and I couldn’t be more excited to see it reactivated by a retailer of Uniqlo’s caliber. The opening of this new flagship store is highly anticipated, and we’re grateful to welcome Uniqlo back. This is exactly the kind of investment and activity we want to see as we continue rebuilding our vibrant and thriving downtown.”

“Uniqlo’s opening marks a major step forward in Union Square and Market’s revival,” said District 3 Supervisor Danny Sauter. “A beloved brand, the new store will attract thousands of daily shoppers who are sure to visit other businesses, dine, and see firsthand the renewed energy of our downtown core.”

To celebrate its return to downtown, Uniqlo will host a free street festival on Friday, October 9, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM with local musicians and entertainment, public art, local food, and community activations with partners like the San Francisco Public Library (SFPL) and the Exploratorium. SFPL and Friends of the Library will have a bookmobile at the festival, and the Exploratorium will host hands-on science demonstrations in honor of its partnership with Uniqlo to create 250 family admission vouchers for underserved communities.

“At SFPL, we love to meet our community where they are, and tomorrow that’s on Market Street,” said Michael Lambert, SFPL City Librarian. “Our bookmobile is bringing library joy to the festivities, where people can check out books and sign up for a library card. We’re grateful to work with Uniqlo and Friends of the San Francisco Public Library to support the programs San Franciscans know and love.”

“We love how Uniqlo makes the art and science of fashion accessible to everyone,” said Lindsay Bierman, Sakurako and William Fisher Executive Director and CEO of the Exploratorium. “We share their commitment to San Francisco's culture of creativity, imagination, and invention, and we're thrilled to see them return to a downtown that's coming back to life under Mayor Lurie’s leadership. Our partnership with Uniqlo opens our doors to more explorers, tinkerers, and dreamers, including families visiting for the first time. Because curiosity, like great LifeWear, is made for all.”