Friday, November 28, 2025

Old Pasadena Merchants Mount First Coordinated Holiday Push After Fire and Tariffs

By THERESE EDU

For the first time in 18 years of business, Theodora Coleman joined fellow Holly Street shop owners for a coordinated holiday kickoff.

“This year, as a group of independent retailers, we came together in a way that we never have done before,” said Coleman, co-owner of Gold Bug in Old Pasadena.

The collaboration comes as independent merchants describe the 2025 holiday season as critical to their survival.

Paul Little, president and CEO of the Pasadena Chamber of Commerce, called holiday shopping “make-or-break for retailers and restaurateurs.”

Kristin McGrath, executive director of Visit Pasadena, described Small Business Saturday as “one of the most meaningful moments of the year for Pasadena because it brings people physically into our neighborhoods, to walk our streets, meet our makers, and feel the heart and soul of our community.”

According to the City of Pasadena, Pasadena is home to more than 1,600 retail businesses and over 700 restaurants. Nationally, 84 percent of small business owners report Small Business Saturday is essential for holiday revenue, according to the U.S. Small Business Administration.

The coordinated effort follows what Coleman described as unprecedented adversity.

“After 18 years of business, I have never experienced so much large adversity through the loss of our community,” she said, citing the Altadena fire and tariffs that followed.

Multiple business owners interviewed for this story referenced the Eaton Fire’s impact on the community.

According to official sources, at least 24 Pasadena businesses will serve as Small Business Saturday Welcome Stations this year.

Coleman said Holly Street businesses hosted ‘Holidays on Holly,’ an annual event that served as the kickoff to the holiday shopping effort.

“We all together came together and stayed open until the same 8:00 p.m. and then we offered giveaways and gift baskets,” she said.

Emilie Hoyt, owner of LATHER, said the collaboration extends beyond single events.

“Old Pasadena merchants look out for one another, we share resources, share information, and find ways to keep the district vibrant even in difficult moments,” Hoyt said.

Through the week of Small Business Saturday, Gold Bug is offering 10 percent off Christmas ornaments and a free perfume with any purchase.

Caity Shaffer, owner of Sibylline Records, said the shop is participating as a Small Business Saturday Welcome Station for the second year.

“We do it for no reason other than it’s fun and rewarding to meet the new folks who come in!” Shaffer said.

Participating Holly Street businesses included Gold Bug, Maude Woods, AMT Vintage, Homage, Commune Records, Jenette Bras, Mignon Chocolate, and Retreat, according to the Old Pasadena Management District.

Shaffer said the hardest part of this year has been witnessing the destruction the Eaton fire brought to the community.

“Countless customers lost everything, including our employees, and we personally lost a lot of inventory in the fire,” she said.

McGrath said the decision to focus on in-person Small Business Saturday rather than a parallel Cyber Monday effort follows “a year when many businesses felt the ripple effects of reduced foot traffic” after the Eaton Fire.

Hoyt described navigating “everything from fluctuating foot traffic to the disruptions caused by the 2025 fires and the impact they had on our customers, employees, and neighboring businesses.”

“It’s been a year where nothing felt predictable,” Hoyt said.

Local businesses have responded with relief efforts.

Hoyt said LATHER was “proud to show up for the community as well, offering comfort kits to displaced residents, donating self-care essentials to local relief efforts, and keeping our doors open as a place for people to decompress, reconnect, and feel a sense of normalcy.”

Shaffer said Sibylline Records has been “prioritizing discounts for affected customers, and are still accepting donations for our Pay-It-Forward fund to give affected customers with gift cards.”

Coleman said Gold Bug’s focus on three-dimensional art and limited-run pieces creates an experience that cannot be replicated online.

“It almost becomes impossible to search for the thing because you don’t know what it is until you come across it,” she said.

Coleman said she values the direct engagement with customers.

“I love everything that I offer, and I love being able to talk to humans about it and engage with people when they’re buying the pieces to tell them the history and where it comes from and the importance of what it is in a way that I don’t think I can convey online,” she said.

Little said “the in-person experience sets our retailers and restaurants apart.”

According to the Old Pasadena Management District, Old Pasadena contains nearly 200 independent businesses, primarily independent operations rather than national chains.

Hoyt said the sensory nature of her products makes in-person shopping essential.

“For LATHER, the in-person experience is everything,” she said.

“Our brand is built on aromas, texture, and wellness rituals, things you have to feel, smell, and sink into to truly understand,” Hoyt said.

“Amazon can ship quickly, but it can’t replicate ‘What does this feel like on my skin?’ or ‘Which scent instantly calms me?'” she said.

Old Pasadena is a 22-block National Register Historic District, according to the Old Pasadena Management District.

Shaffer said the personal connection distinguishes independent shops from large retailers.

“The big corporations can’t and don’t cultivate community; they can’t recommend records based on your recent taste, nor ask how your kids or dog are doing,” she said.

“Brick and mortar stores are these sort of special havens where you can learn, meet new people, and come across something rare and precious you wouldn’t have thought to type into a search bar,” Shaffer said.

Approaches to online sales vary among Old Pasadena merchants.

Coleman said she does not try to compete with Amazon online.

“I can’t compete virtually with Amazon, so I don’t try,” she said.

Hoyt, by contrast, said Cyber Monday remains important to her business.

“Cyber Monday is equally important: it’s one of our biggest online days of the year,” Hoyt said.

Little said economic uncertainty is affecting both shoppers and business owners heading into the holiday season.

“Everyone is very uncertain about the economy,” he said.

“That translates into a reluctance by some to spend money, on gifts and experiences as well as improvements and inventory,” Little said.

McGrath said Visit Pasadena’s decision to focus on in-person Small Business Saturday rather than a parallel Cyber Monday effort is “very intentional.”

According to the National Retail Federation, projected consumer spending for 2025 is $890.49 per consumer, a decrease of $11 from the prior year.

Little said shopping locally creates benefits beyond economics.

“More than the economic impact, which is tremendous for local businesses, it creates excitement and energy for shoppers,” he said.

Hoyt urged residents to consider the broader impact of their choices.

“When you shop in Old Pasadena, you’re not just buying something, you’re helping keep a vibrant, creative, human-centered community alive,” she said.

According to the Old Pasadena Management District, Old Pasadena sales increased 95 percent over the past decade to nearly $730 million annually.

Coleman said Gold Bug stocked inventory from small manufacturers before tariffs took effect.

“I am very proud to say that we made quite an effort to gather and stock all of our art and pieces from small manufacturers before the tariffs,” she said.

“I can proudly say that all of our prices are pre-tariff prices,” Coleman said.

For shoppers on tight budgets, both Shaffer and Hoyt said there are still ways to support local businesses.

Shaffer said customers who want to support the store but are on a tight budget “can simply tell their friends about the shop.”

“You don’t have to spend big to make a difference,” Hoyt said.

Coleman said the city is participating in efforts to encourage local shopping through a new rewards program.

“It started on October 1st and it’s going through March and it’s 5% cash back on purchases made at local retailers,” Coleman said.

“It is to encourage local shopping,” she said.

According to the City of Pasadena, the Open Rewards pilot program launched on October 1, 2025, offering shoppers 5 percent cash back at participating local retailers and restaurants through March 31, 2026. The program allows a maximum of $10 per transaction and $200 per user.

David Klug, the city’s Economic Development Director, said in a statement that Small Business Saturday highlights the role of local businesses in the community.

“Small Business Saturday is a reminder of the vital role small businesses play in our city and economy,” Klug stated.

“By shopping small, residents and visitors alike support the entrepreneurs and family-owned businesses that make Pasadena unique,” he said.

Shaffer described the holiday season as “crucial for our survival.”

“For stores like ours, November and December are rocket fuel for the rest of the year, and help us make it through the slower months,” she said.

Little said he will measure success in January.

“The hope is businesses are happy and shoppers are happy,” he said.

Pasadena Transit will offer free bus rides on November 28 and 29 to all shopping districts, according to the City of Pasadena.

Coleman said the independent retailers on Holly Street share a common commitment.

“Our businesses are our passion and our love, and we take it home with us every day,” she said.

“I mean, we never stop doing work when we leave our stores,” Coleman said.

“So we really put our heart and soul into it and feel really thankful for anyone who supports us,” she said.