San Francisco, CA
From Labubus to Nintendo, San Francisco’s Union Square cashing in on viral trends
SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) — San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie posted to Instagram Wednesday to announce the opening of the new Pop Mart store.
The Chinese retailer already has a hugely popular location in Stonestown Mall, but the Union Square location will be their first venture into the heart of the city.
Pop Mart’s popularity has exploded in recent times thanks to their viral Labubus – some of which sell online for hundreds of dollars.
The Labubus aren’t the only viral trends that San Francisco is cashing in on though.
Back in May, a Nintendo store also opened in Union Square – only the second store of its kind in the country.
VIDEO: Nintendo San Francisco opens its doors, bringing the gaming world to Union Square
After months of anticipation, Nintendo San Francisco opened its doors Thursday at its new Union Square location.
“What do people want? Well it turns out they want stores like Nintendo. They’ve been open for maybe a little over a month-and-a-half and the line has been down the block every single day,” said Marisa Rodriguez.
Rodriguez is the CEO of the Union Square Alliance. She says over the past few months, Union Square has seen several new, trendy stores open or announce plans to open.
A strategy that San Francisco Chamber of Commerce president Rodney Fong says is all a part of a years-long push by city officials to welcome new business.
“San Francisco’s unique ability is that it’s ever changing. Next time you come, we’ve got our staples, we’ve got our legacy businesses, but things are always changing,” he said.
And it seems to be working.
MORE: How San Francisco’s Union Square is beginning to see life again
Outside the Nintendo store, several customers told us they came into town just to shop there.
“Even if it’s a short-term solution to get people down here, I think it’s a great solution,” said Karen Hamilton.
Rodriguez says she expects more exciting openings to happen around Union Square in the coming weeks.
Helping to give the city its mojo back after a rough few years after the pandemic.
“The last few months have been really exciting for San Francisco, and people just feeling like we’ve turned a corner. The phones are ringing. The opportunity may have been yesterday, so let’s go,” said Rodriguez.
Pop Mart’s new store will open on Powell Street.
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San Francisco Supervisor Jackie Fielder will resume her duties next week after taking a three-month leave of absence due to mental health.
“I’m coming clear-eyed and grounded and eager to serve in this role again,” Fielder said in a video posted to social media Tuesday.
Fielder was first elected in 2024 to serve District 9, which includes the Mission District and Bernal Heights and Portola neighborhoods. In late March of this year, her staffers announced she was taking a leave of absence to address an “acute personal health crisis” after missing a few weeks of Board of Supervisors meetings.
“I left the work that I love so much, not because I wanted to, but because my mental health demanded it, and I say that with no shame,” she said.
In the video statement, Fielder mentioned that the pressure of serving as a supervisor took a toll on her mental health.
“I’ve often felt like the weight of this district and city is on my shoulders, and I, through this leave, have had the silver lining of understanding that it never has,” she said. “I was going 100 miles an hour since early 2023 when I started the campaign for supervisor, and being a grassroots candidate is a lot of elbow grease.”
Fielder’s staff continued some of the work in her district while she was gone. She thanked her colleagues and Mayor Daniel Lurie for their support and allowing her to be excused from meetings.
Fielder will return to work Monday and appear at the June 30 board meeting. She is also expected to host listening sessions in her district through July.
“I am an example that it is possible to come back and heal,” she said. “I could not be more honored to serve and more ready to serve.”
San Francisco, CA
Where to watch Athletics vs San Francisco Giants: TV channel, start time, streaming for June 23
What to know about MLB’s ABS robot umpire strike zone system
MLB launches ABS challenge system as players test robot umpire calls in a groundbreaking season.
The 2026 MLB season has surpassed the quarter mark, and after each team’s first 40 games, there’s plenty of reasons to tune in all summer long.
Chicago White Sox slugger Munetaka Murakami has already proven doubters wrong by launching 17 home runs, Pittsburgh’s Paul Skenes consistently looks like the best version of himself on the mound and Milwaukee ace Jacob Misiorowski is throwing harder than any starter in the majors.
The MLB action continues on Tuesday as the Athletics visit the San Francisco Giants.
Here’s everything you need to know to tune in for the first pitch.
See USA TODAY’s sortable MLB schedule to filter by team or division.
What time is Athletics vs San Francisco Giants?
First pitch between the San Francisco Giants and Athletics is scheduled for 9:45 p.m. (ET) on Tuesday, June 23.
How to watch Athletics vs San Francisco Giants on Tuesday
All times Eastern and accurate as of Tuesday, June 23, 2026, at 6:33 a.m.
Watch MLB all season long with Fubo
MLB regional blackout restrictions apply
MLB scores, results
MLB scores for June 23 games are available on usatoday.com . Here’s how to access today’s results:
See scores, results for all of today’s games.
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