Nordstrom ($JWN@US) will close two stores near downtown San Francisco as the pandemic has kept foot traffic well below pre-pandemic levels, adding to the exodus of office and retail tenants from the city. The fashion retailer said changing market conditions that affected foot traffic was a factor in the closings. The move reflects the challenges merchants face in key business districts in large cities across the country as they deal with rising operating costs, concerns about crime, and foot traffic remaining well below pre-pandemic levels. San Francisco has seen dozens of stores shuttered over the last three years, and retail sales have declined in San Francisco more than any other county in California. Nordstrom will close its Nordstrom Rack store on Market Street on July 1 and its mall department store at Westfield San Francisco Centre at the end of August.