Downtown looking for pop-up businesses, one business owner says area isn’t good for retail

The holiday shopping commercials are already out and the downtown partnership has a plan to bring new shops in.

A series of pop-up businesses could be coming downtown this holiday season.

Several buildings are empty right now, and one business owner who left says the area isn’t great for retail anymore.

Jackie Gunn, owner of Kirk and Hill, said she now has a good problem.

“I’m currently trying to keep up with the inventory,” she said.

She opened her clothing store 28 years ago on Tejon Street. Business was great most of the time, but the last few years things changed when the area changed.

“There’s a lot of harassment and vagrancy unfortunately,” she said. “We were there for several years where that wasn’t an issued, but in the last few years, it’s become more and more prevalent.”

That, combined with limited parking, led to her decision to leave, moving to Chapel Hills Mall.

She’s not alone, two other businesses have left as well in the last year.

But the Downtown Partnership doesn’t blame the area.

“Obviously the internet has changed, there are completely different shopping patterns that have come post recession,” said Sarah Harris, development manager for the Downtown Partnership.

Gun admits the move was a tough decision but she said she had not choice.

“It was agonizing, really. A lot of sleepless nights, but ultimately, I just had to listen to my customers,” Gunn said.

The partnership said they do have pending leases for those vacant stores.

They’re also bringing in pop-up business for the holiday shopping season.

Those shops will use vacant areas to set up small businesses, which will only be open from Nov. 1 through Dec. 31.

Applications are being upset through the first week of October.