The big chains either failed to respond or declined requests to share data on sales and foot traffic. But there are some objective signals that the weeks between Thanksgiving and mid-December were a bit merrier than they were last year. Union Square\u2019s foot traffic was up 7% from 2024, according to MRI Software, which measures brick-and-mortar retail activity. The area saw a roughly 5% uptick in individual sales transactions over 2024, according to payments processor Block.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cFrom the retailers that we\u2019ve been communicating with, we\u2019re hearing that sales are up 20% to 30% month-over-month,\u201d said Laci Ravina, a broker with Colliers who specializes in Union Square. \u201cEveryone is feeling bullish and recognizing that it\u2019s back.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n
She\u2019s been fielding interest from retailers who left the square and are looking to return, as well as new entrants. As Maven broker Ali McEvoy put it, there\u2019s a Union Square \u201cgold rush,\u201d with national and international brands eyeing the market.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tour activity is insane,\u201d McEvoy said. She\u2019s seen \u201ca lot of shoppers and shopping bags\u201d around the square this holiday season and predicts that momentum through the holidays will bring a spate of new leases in 2026.\u00a0<\/p>\n
But there\u2019s still a gap between that vision and reality. Plenty of vacant storefronts dot Powell Street, as well as Stockton, Post, and, of course, Market.\u00a0<\/p>\n
![\"People](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766153169_256_-S3840x2561-FPNG.png\"\/)
People walk around at Union Square on a weekday. | Source: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades\/The Standard<\/p>\n
While a handful of large retailers like Pop Mart and Nintendo opened Union Square locations this year, local small businesses<\/a> have been an increasingly important part of the retail mix. These entrepreneurs have also been feeling the holiday cheer.\u00a0<\/p>\n Todd Masonis, cofounder of Dandelion Chocolate, said business has been \u201cgoing great\u201d since the team opened a location on Powell this fall, enabled by the city-funded Vacant to Vibrant program.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cWe were a little skeptical when they first approached us, but it\u2019s gone way better than we expected,\u201d he said. Seeing the mix of both steady traffic and the holiday rush has given the team the confidence to start working with the landlord to sign a longer-term lease. Masonis imagines a future in which the shop sells fresh hot chocolate and pastries, in addition to boxed goods. \u201cIt just feels like things have turned around significantly down here.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Willy Bietak, the 78-year-old former Olympian ice skater whose company has produced Union Square\u2019s skating rink for nearly two decades, said San Francisco feels \u201clike a changed city.\u201d The rink\u2019s visitor count as of Dec. 16 was up 15% from 2024, with the usual mix of families, couples, and groups of friends, he said. \u201cThe season so far has been fantastic.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Activities like the rink and the 12-day \u201cWinter Walk\u201d activation (opens in new tab)<\/a> on Stockton Street have attracted locals and tourists alike to the square, according to Michelle O\u2019Connor, owner of the recently opened Just for Fun (opens in new tab)<\/a> toy store on Maiden Lane, which has been a beneficiary of the increased foot traffic. She has also noticed a boost in office tenants<\/a> in the area that has kept weekday foot traffic steady.\u00a0<\/p>\n The vibes, in short, have been festive.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s been really, really amazing,\u201d said Paul Carr, who opened The Best Bookstore in Union Square<\/a> in November with his wife, Sarah Lacy. \u201cThe square has felt so busy and so alive.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The bookstore always has a handful of people browsing its stacks and regularly extends operations by an extra hour to accommodate shoppers; for example, during Santacon<\/a>, the store stayed open until 10 p.m. to take advantage of the crowds.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1766153170_949_-S3840x2561-FPNG.png\"\/)
Visitor numbers at the Union Square ice rink have increased 15% year-over-year. | Source: Amanda Andrade-Rhoades\/The Standard<\/p>\n