Nintendo Plans Official Store in Downtown San Francisco
Union Square outlet, opening next year, will be second in the U.S.
It’s been a while since we’ve been able to report some good news for San Francisco’s Union Square neighborhood, where the largest downtown mall has been imploding and a century-old retail landmark—Macy’s flagship store—will be closing.
So, here’s some really good news: Nintendo, the Japanese video game colossus behind Super Mario and Pokémon, is planning to open an official store in Union Square.
Nintendo San Francisco will open in 2025 and join New York City as the only official stores in the U.S. for the company, the company’s American division announced on Friday.
The San Francisco outlet will become the fifth official Nintendo store in the world: in addition to Nintendo New York, the company’s official stores include Nintendo Tokyo, Nintendo Osaka and Nintendo Kyoto.
Based on the experience in Manhattan, where Nintendo’s official store in Rockefeller Plaza has become a major tourist attraction, the outlet in San Francisco should give Union Square the mega-shot in the arm that it desperately needs.
“This is great news for Union Square and fans from everywhere! We’re excited for San Francisco’s future and look forward to welcoming this iconic brand to our City,” Mayor London Breed said, in a posting on X.
Nintendo said in its announcement that the San Francisco store will be a destination for “a wide range of visitors from near and far to experience the world of Nintendo, its products and characters.”
The new official store is expected to be open in time for the Pokémon World Championships in 2026—which will take place in San Francisco’s Moscone Center.
Nintendo San Francisco will occupy two floors encompassing about 10K SF of retail space, the San Francisco Business Times reported.
The exodus of retail stores from Union Square in the past year has included iconic destinations like the Disney store and Jeffrey’s Toys, magnets for a demographic that now will have a new central attraction.
Nintendo’s announcement heralds a resurgence, Marisa Rodriguez, CEO of the Union Square Alliance, the neighborhood’s business improvement district, told the Business Times.
“This exciting addition heralds a new era of retail experiences, blending family-friendly fun with the cutting-edge spirit of San Francisco’s renowned gaming and technology sectors,” Rodriguez said.