Marquee at Orpheum during Bringing Back Broadway on Jan. 31.
Bringing Back Broadway’s Boutique Connection
Crowds of people took to downtown Los Angeles’ Broadway thoroughfare Jan. 31, all to watch acrobats, magic shows and short films at the up-and-coming thoroughfare’s ornate 1920s movie palaces during the Bringing Back Broadway street fair.
While a lot of the night’s activities seemed focused on food and entertainment, Bringing Back Broadway also served as an open house for the street’s retailers.
(The object of the event was to showcase the Bringing Back Broadway initiative, headed by Los Angeles City Councilmember José Huizar. The initiative has attracted high-end retail and restaurants to the corridor. For decades, many considered the street a blighted area.)
During the street fair, Tanner Goods boutique, located at 860 S. Broadway, stayed open for a few hours after its typical 7PM closing, and saw big crowds from the fair, reported David Palermini, sales lead for the leather goods, clothing and lifestyle boutique.
He said it was wall-to-wall people at Tanner by 8PM. Sales were made, and Palermini and his staff had the opportunity to put Tanner Goods on a lot of people’s radar screens.
“We’re a small company,” he said. “We’ve had online exposure, but for those who have never experienced our product in person, it was a huge boon.”
Since Downtown Los Angeles often seems like a district for night owls, Palermini said that he has discussed staying open later with other Broadway merchants, however, he reported that it typically makes sense only when there are concerts and events at the street, at the Orpheum Theatre and at the Ace Hotel, both neighbors of Tanner Goods.
