Clement Street shops in San Francisco's Inner Richmond, where merchants oppose a chain gift store's expansion - San Francisco

Clement Street Merchants Fight Chain Gift Shop’s Expansion Bid

By Brian (Local SF Guide) · September 25, 2026

A gift shop chain’s bid to open its eleventh San Francisco location on Clement Street has drawn organized opposition from a merchants association that collected more than 300 signatures against it. The San Francisco Planning Commission took up the request on September 24.

The Proposal

Jing Chen, who runs Therapy Stores, is seeking a conditional use authorization to open a location at 32 Clement Street, near Second Avenue in the Inner Richmond. Chen bought the building in December 2025 for nearly $2 million, according to Mission Local. The storefront was previously zoned for medical office use, which is why converting it to retail requires commission approval.

Therapy Stores sells plush toys, baby items, and novelty gifts, and operates 10 locations after a store in the Inner Sunset closed. With 10 or more locations, the chain meets San Francisco’s definition of formula retail, a category that triggers additional planning review in some commercial corridors. The city’s Planning Department recommended approval of the application in an 83 page report.

Merchant Opposition

The Clement Street Merchants Association opposes the opening. Spokesperson Chris Squire said the group would accept a chain pharmacy on the block but not another gift retailer, arguing the corridor already has enough shops in that category and that chain stores put independent businesses at a disadvantage. More than 300 people signed a petition titled “No formula retail on Clement Street.”

The association also points to unpermitted construction work at the site that began before the conditional use process was complete, saying Chen moved ahead of the required approvals.

Background

Chen started the business with a single shop in the Mission District. The chain has since expanded across San Francisco and the wider Bay Area, including Burlingame, Pleasanton, and Livermore. Clement Street runs through the Richmond District, where the merchants association’s petition and the pending city review will determine whether the chain adds this corridor to that list.

Sources: Mission Local, San Francisco Planning Commission hearing calendar.

Photo: Runner1928, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.