One thing SF and NY have in common are those luggage stores. I’ve always assumed they’re a multi-layer front: the obvious scam is selling baggage stolen off the carousel, but the deeper scam is that couriers can walk in pretending to be a customer and walk out with a suitcase full of cash.
That said, they do serve a legit purpose for when you’ve bought some souvenirs. But that can’t be enough to sustain these places.