SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — Shuttered storefronts and those announcing their pending closure are becoming more and more common along this stretch of San Francisco’s Mission District.

While rent increases are to blame in some cases, that doesn’t tell the entire story.

“I’m losing customers, I am losing employees and it’s difficult to maintain the Mission Thrift Store,” says store owner Werner Werwie.

Werwie says he’s shutting down his store after 20 years for several reasons, among them his customer base has changed.

“All the alternative lifestyle artists and students — they have all moved away to Oakland or Oklahoma,” says the owner.

The difficulty he has in getting employees is in part due to crime, not just on the street but in his store.

“When we have problem customers, they wouldn’t leave the store. If someone is shoplifting, the cops come 45 minutes later and do nothing,” Werwie said.

While problems with homeless people, those on drugs and those shoplifting are not unique to the Mission.

Werwie says he has not had similar problems at his vintage clothing store in the Haight.

“I’m happy to go,” he said. “I had a good run for 20 years and now it’s time to move on.”

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