North Face closes downtown Seattle flagship store

The North Face has closed its downtown Seattle store. The flagship store was a staple of downtown shopping.

According to The Puget Sound Business Journal , the store operated at 520 Pike Street for nearly five years. The downtown store is no longer listed on The North Face’s website. However, the University Village and Southcenter stores are still open.

The North Face was founded in 1964 and is a subsidiary of VF Corp, based in Denver, Colorado. VF Corp also owns Dicies, JanSport, Vans and SmartWool, according to The Puget Sound Business Journal.

The North Face is known for its hiking and camping clothing, with its rain jackets becoming popular in Seattle, but it now joins Nike and Lululemon in the closure of their downtown stores. The downtown retail core has been having trouble since the COVID-19 pandemic, citing crime as a major concern.

According to the Downtown Seattle Association , the city had 2.1 million visitors in November of 2022. A bright spot was Thanksgiving when retail core had more than 115,000 visitors, a 6% increase over the year before.

Last year, Mayor Bruce Harrell unveiled an ambitious roadmap to revitalize and transform downtown Seattle. The Downtown Activation Plan aimed to breathe new life into the heart of the city.

Standing in its way, the safety of its downtown area remains a pressing issue. Recent data revealed a mixed picture of crime trends with both hopeful signs and areas of concern.

According to the Seattle Police Department (SPD), the overall crime rate in the city has decreased from 2022 to now. But since spring, there has been a gradual increase in criminal activity throughout the city, with downtown Seattle bearing the brunt of it.

However, those visiting the city can still visit the Nordstrom flagship store, Pacific Place or the Handmade Showroom.

Contributing: Bill Kaczaraba

Originally posted at mynorthwest.com