Tori King
INDIO, Calif. (KESQ) — The Place community marketplace is now officially open, bringing the first permanent, collective shopping experience to the East Valley.
It sits in the heart of downtown Indio, and first opened its doors in July, but according to Nicole Massoth, one of the co-owners, the concept had been years in the making.
“Our intention was to open last December,” said Massoth. “The building was purchased a few years ago, but we had many setbacks. There were tons of construction delays with the businesses next door, and we sort of all were facing different challenges.”
And although the concept of a communal marketplace isn’t a new concept, its something she believed the area was in desperate need of. Palm Springs and the west side of the valley has several collectives, but Indio did not.
“The east side has been underserved when it comes to shopping experiences,” said Massoth. “So every single community member here has an opportunity to now shop local and know their dollars are going to support their uncles, sisters, brothers, friends. People are so excited to participate in what really is, organically, a positive thing for this city.”
The Place is now a hub for over 100 Southern California small businesses, with more than half of them being from the Coachella Valley and Indio. Local entrepreneurs who have now partnered with The Place say having a shopping hub in the middle of downtown has helped keep their small businesses afloat during the slower summer months, and the recent tariffs.
In addition to that, the concept helps give small online businesses in particular, like GetStonned, Angry Emu Hot Sauce, and Studio Hang the chance to grow through exposure, and affordable physical space, without risks and obstacles most bricks and mortar shops face. Megs Jarrett, the owner of GetStonned, a luxury rhinestone, makeup and beauty brand now lives in Indio, and she says having a physical space inside the store has helped her business locally.
“This is definitely something that helped us to get our foot in the door with having a physical space, without taking the full risk of being a small business,” said Jarrett. “I don’t have that funding. I run this company myself, and I just had a baby. So it really gave me the opportunity to jump forward when I felt like maybe I couldn’t reach it. The Space bridged that gap and give me a chance to finally have a space where we could really be and connect with people and customers.”
Jarrett, mostly operated her business through online sales, including recent TikTok and viral fame, including the use of her products on season two of HBO’s Euphoria.
“To now be able to have the opportunity to have a storefront and a safe place with other entrepreneurs where the owners have been so supportive means everything,” said Jarrett. “To have a home base here in Indio, where we have some of the best festivals, I mean, my products are perfect for that, so bringing more of the beauty community down here just made sense.”
Tracie Hang, the owner and principal designed at Studio Hang agrees, and says the unique concept drew her in.
“I have created just a little fireplace moment to kind of showcase a little bit, but not limited to my design esthetics,” explained Hang. “Here we also have some rugs from Turkey and pillows as well.”
But its the camaraderie and support she’s found with other entrepreneurs here that have made it feel like home.
“It’s really, really, special,” said Hang. “Here, you kind of grow with all of these other small businesses, and you go through all these trials and errors with them, and it doesn’t feel like you know you’re alone in this whole process. So I think it’s really all about growing together.”The various booths range from local clothing stores and artists, to jewelry shops and candle makers. There’s even a small market section filled snacks and drinks.
The concept also introduces these shops to wider and more diverse customer bases. Emmanuel Madrigal, the owner of Angry Emu Hot Sauce, has seen a rise in sales.
“If you come in here for hot sauce, you can’t help but look around right same thing,” said Madrigal. “If you come in for a pastry or some t-shirts or whatever, you just can’t help but look around all of these cool small businesses. So I think truly, we feed off of each other’s energy, kind of thing.”But the place doesn’t only offer a central location for customers, it also creates a mutually beneficial relationship between the place, and the booths.”To bring something here and revitalizing this area, specifically in Old Town Indio, is so special.” said Jarrett. “It’s creating community. It’s bringing new life here, new businesses. I mean, there’s so much color and texture in this place. You can really find anything here.” “Honestly, it was a no brainer,” said Madrigal. “I grew up here an you didn’t have places like this to hang out and shop. But now that this is here, it’s like, yeah, you put your product in here. They take the overhead, you split the cost, and it just makes a lot of sense to expose your product to new people, to a whole new city that might not be familiar with my product. I love that.”
And despite its size, there’s still room to grow. “The goal is to support as many human beings as we can,” said Massoth. “It can be through this space, by adding brands to the marketplace, but it also will be in many ways, a community center. We’re going to offer classes for free. We’re already partnering with non profits. We’re going to do fun activations and arts and crafts. So the hope is that it grows in a way that’s far more meaningful than a place to shop.”An official grand opening and ribbon cutting will take place on August 29th.For more information on The Place click here.
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