San Francisco’s oldest toy store, which inspired the Pixar classic “Toy Story,” will permanently close its doors after nearly a century in business, with the city’s widespread crime and violence problem a major factor.
Jeffrey’s Toys broke the news Friday that it will close its stores at the end of February, marking the end of an iconic 86-year run.
“The store has been struggling for several years, due to the dangers and violence of the inner-city environment, inflation, declining consumer spending and the demise of retail around the world,” the lawyer said. Ken Sterling to the San Francisco Chronicle.
“The family is sad it has come to this and we have explored all other options to try to keep the business going,” Sterling explained.
Jeffrey’s Toys once had several locations in the Bay Area, but has since shrunk to one final location in San Francisco’s financial district. Instagram/ jeffreys.toys The original founders of the toy stores were Morton and Birdie Luhn. JEFFREY’S TOYS
Founded in 1938 by the Luhn family, Jeffrey’s Toys once had several locations in the Bay Area, but has since shrunk to a final location in San Francisco’s financial district.
Its founders, Morton and Birdie Luhn, had opened a five-cent variety store called Birdies Variety, but the couple renamed the store Birdie’s Toy House, which sold exclusively toys after World War II. according to the store’s website. .
The store was eventually transferred to his grandson Mark Luhn, whose son and current co-owner Matthew Luhn had worked for Pixar as an artist and story writer in the mid-1990s.
Mark Luhn’s son (C), and current co-owner, Matthew Luhn (L), had worked for Pixar as an artist and story writer in the mid-1990s and used the store as inspiration for “Toy Story.” JEFFREY’S TOYS
“During ‘Toy Story,’ my dad would come over and give us ideas,” Matthew Luhn told SFGate in December 2023. “And when we were making references for almost every ‘Toy Story’ movie, we always went to Jeffrey’s Toys.” . My dad just closed the store and said, ‘Just play, have fun, and let me know if you need anything.'”
The first signs of trouble emerged when business experienced a downturn during the pandemic.
The family paid about $20,000 each month in rent, and the cost of keeping the store running became unaffordable.
Jeffrey’s Toys broke the news Friday that it will close its stores at the end of February, marking the end of an iconic 86-year run. Instagram/ jeffreys.toys
San Francisco’s rampant violent crime also took a toll on the store’s staff.
Luhn told the San Francisco Chronicle that one of his former employees was pushed against the wall of the store and nearly stabbed.
Sterling blamed “the leadership of the city of San Francisco and the Downtown Association” for allowing crime to run amok in the “once vibrant and fun downtown experience.”
Luhn, who runs the toy store with his father and stepmother, said they were “putting our money in, working hard and with love,” but the local business was getting nothing. help from the city in return.
A view of one of the many Jeffrey’s Toys locations in the Bay Area. JEFFREY’S TOYS
Robberies in San Francisco skyrocketed a staggering 14.4% in 2023 compared to the previous year, according to the latest crime statistics.
San Francisco was rated safer than just 1 percent of U.S. neighborhoods, with a burglary rate 4.5 times the national average, according to Neighborhood Scout.
Jeffrey’s Toys is just the latest in a long line of retailers closing their doors due to the crime epidemic ravaging the city.
Homeless people gather by their tents on the street in downtown San Francisco on December 1, 2023. Michael Ho Wai Lee/SOPA Images/Shutterstock
Since the start of the coronavirus pandemic in spring 2020, about 40 retail stores have closed downtown.
In October 2023, Starbucks announced it would close several locations in crime-ridden downtown San Francisco.
Popular retailers such as Whole Foods, Old Navy, Saks Off 5th, Office Depot, Athleta, Abercrombie & Fitch, Disney, Marshall’s, H&M and Gap are just a few that have closed as the exodus of crime and homelessness continues. It is controlled in the city. Through the years.
The city’s largest shopping center, Westfield San Francisco Centre, has lost nearly $1 billion in its estimated value after its owners, Westfield and Brookfield, defaulted on their $558 million mortgage payments last year. according to Real Deal.
The mall has seen a mass exodus of prominent retailers since last year, but its biggest blow came when Nordstrom moved out of its 312,000-square-foot, multi-level space in August due to fentanyl “zombies” roaming outside among drug dealers and thieves after 35 years.
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Source: vtt.edu.vn