The streets of Barrio Logan were adorned with colorful papel picado banners as shoppers popped in and out of storefronts on Saturday for the “Chicano Shop Hop.”
Shoppers along Logan Avenue were eager to score free screen-printed tote bags with any $25 purchase.
“Shop Logan Avenue, Cultura & Hustle,” the bag’s bright pink logo read.
Small businesses and associations countywide — from La Mesa to North Park to Encinitas — marked Small Business Saturday, created by American Express in 2010, with sales and promotions to encourage shopping locally.
The Barrio Logan promotion, which included street vendors, was organized by the nonprofit organization All for Logan and an event organizing company, The Movement.
Savanna and Alexia Flores both regularly shop on Logan Avenue and said the promotion brought them back once more.
Savanna Flores, left, and Alexia Flores of City Heights look for holiday gifts at the Little Shop in Barrio Logan on Saturday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
Their haul consisted of two candles made by a local Brazilian artist, a screen print and other holiday gifts purchased from boutiques.
“It’s nice to know that you are supporting your community and to know that it goes back into the community,” Savanna said.
Molly King owns The Little Shop, a boutique in Barrio Logan that sells hand-picked products made by other small businesses.
King said she bought the storefront from her mother, who owns and operates two other businesses on Logan Avenue. Both her and her mother’s businesses have struggled to stay afloat since the COVID-19 pandemic, she said.
Molly King, owner of the Little Shop in Barrio Logan, was ready for Small Business Saturday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
“If I have to make a run to Walmart or Target, I wonder how these stores are so full and it’s so empty at my shop,” King said. “I want people to remember that you can find a lot of the things you want to gift at these small shops.”
Despite increased costs for consumers this holiday season, 86% of consumers said they are likely to “shop small,” either in-person or online, according to a 2025 study by American Express.
Many local businesses rely on the holidays to drive their revenue for the year, but a surge in online shopping over recent years has led some business owners to struggle to stay afloat.
A combination of tariffs, inflation and increased costs has compounded to create an affordability crisis that is putting pressure on both small business owners and their customers, according to a report by Small Business for America’s Future. The report said that 74% of small business owners fear they will not survive the next year.
Nichole Macdonald owns The Sash Bag, a San Diego-based company that sells crossbody purses.
A flurry of federal actions has put her business in a bind, Macdonald said, with no end in sight.
Tariffs left her with hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of product held up in Canada and India after she already moved her manufacturing from China due to the first round of tariffs in 2018.
Customers walked abut Barrio Logan during Small Business Saturday. (Nelvin C. Cepeda / The San Diego Union-Tribune)
This has forced her to raise prices and cut staffing, she said.
“Every single small business is struggling right now because consumers are trying to save money, and I don’t blame them, but small businesses are important,” Macdonald said. “You might not be able to buy as much, but our products are more unique and make life full of color and flavor.”