San Jose is trying to help entrepreneurs go into and stay in business by investing in pop-ups. Ginger Conejero Saab reports.
San Jose is trying to help entrepreneurs go into and stay in business by investing in pop-ups.
A current example is the city transforming a vacant storefront into a collective of vintage vendors.
Over the next 10 days a pop-up market in the Willow Glen neighborhood will be housed in the site of a former Petco store that closed about eight months ago. Ten different vendors will gather under one roof and take advantage of holiday traffic in the area without a long-term lease.
The city's "Holiday San Jose" campaign features more than 300 small businesses in 12 unique neighborhoods where shoppers can buy, dine and celebrate with a San Jose flavor.
San Jose is investing in business corridors, hosting workshops for owners, and creating opportunities for new businesses like night markets and the pop-ups that can sometimes be the first step toward a more permanent business.
"We're providing technical assistance, helping them understand permitting, complying with public health, marketing, even talking about more sophisticated techniques like using AI to identify and market to their target audience," Mayor Matt Mahan said.
For more information, visit Shop Local San Jose.
The vintage holiday pop-up runs through Dec. 7.
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