And at least some Fresno-area businesses are feeling that pain this year.<\/p>\n
Ashley Mireles-Guerrero, cofounder of Judging by the Cover<\/a>, says inflation, economic uncertainty, and shifting tariffs have all made this holiday season more challenging for the Fresno bookstore.<\/p>\n \u201cWe don\u2019t need folks to complete their entire holiday list with us (though we wouldn\u2019t complain!), but even shifting $20\u2013$40 of your gift budget to a local shop makes a real, tangible difference,\u201d Mireles-Guerrero said. \u201cFor big-box stores, $20 is nothing. For us, it\u2019s a lifeline. Small, consistent purchases truly keep us going.\u201d<\/p>\n Never miss the top stories in Fresno \u2014 sign up for our free, daily newsletter.<\/p>\n Shoppers are spending more cautiously, she said, and some regulars, such as those affected by government furloughs, have pulled back. Nonprofit partners have also reduced bulk orders as arts funding shrinks<\/a> and new restrictions limit federal grants to LGBTQ+ organizations. Several nonprofit publishers the store relied on have closed after losing National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) support<\/a>.<\/p>\n Tariffs have added instability, leading some publishers to cancel products entirely.\u00a0<\/p>\n Mireles-Guerrero said nearly all of the store\u2019s box sets and puzzles vanished from orders this year. Spanish-language titles are harder to source and more expensive, with one book rising from $12.99 in June to $14.99 by October. Overall, holiday sales are down 20% from last year.<\/p>\n No matter what\u2019s happening in Sacramento or Washington, we will continue to do what we\u2019ve always done: hold our local officials accountable and report the stories that shape daily life in Fresno. <\/p>\n Become a monthly member today during our crucial end-of-year campaign so that we can continue to tell hyperlocal stories you won’t find anywhere else. All donations are matched through December 31.<\/p>\n Why holiday spending feels harder this year<\/p>\n Many shoppers joined national economic blackouts of big corporations<\/a> who have rolled back DEI initiatives throughout the year. More people are finding it harder to afford the things they want to give as gifts or to afford food for holiday meals. This is especially true for lower and middle-income adults, according to the survey<\/a> from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research.<\/p>\n Word-of-mouth is another powerful way to support local businesses, Mireles-Guerrero said. Advertising costs have surged, and social media algorithms make it harder for small businesses to reach customers. Personal recommendations, sharing events, or simply liking and commenting on posts can help independent stores break through the noise.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen someone recommends us to their friends, suggests our store for a day out, or shares our events, that kind of organic support matters more than people realize,\u201d Mireles-Guerrero said.<\/p>\n Shopping local, Mireles-Guerrero added, also keeps money circulating within the community, often supporting multiple creators at once. A purchase at a neighborhood bookstore or caf\u00e9 can uplift local artists, authors, and small vendors housed under the same roof, Mireles-Guerrero said, helping sustain a fragile ecosystem of independent businesses during a make-or-break season.<\/p>\n At Bad Kids Club<\/a>, a vintage clothing store, owner Fabio Linares, says tariffs have had less impact on his vintage clothing shop than the broader climate of fear caused by ICE activity and immigration raids, which have affected both suppliers and customers.\u00a0<\/p>\n He adds that community support doesn\u2019t have to be complicated: engaging with and sharing posts on social media helps visibility, and choosing local alternatives over big-box chains whenever possible keeps money in Fresno\u2019s small-business economy.<\/p>\n Events have popped up across Fresno, from an Anti-Holiday X-mas Party to a grassroots \u201cBlack Friday Alternative\u201d mutual aid market, which offer an alternative to consumer culture.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cAnti-holiday sounds negative, but that\u2019s not the purpose,\u201d Fresno artist and organizer Antonio Quevedo said. \u201cWe can\u2019t be the only ones feeling this way right now, so let\u2019s make a message out of it.\u201d<\/p>\n For many, these events are a practical response to rising living costs<\/a>, shrinking Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefit reductions<\/a>, and other economic pressures<\/a>.<\/p>\n But it\u2019s not all bad news for business, in the U.S., online shoppers spent $44.2 billion during the five-day period from Thanksgiving to Cyber Monday, according to an Adobe Analytics report<\/a>. The Adobe report also predicts that online spending for the full holiday season (Nov. 1 to Dec. 31) will reach $253.4 billion, compared to $241.4 billion last year<\/a>.<\/p>\n While the concept of \u201canti-holiday\u201d is almost as traditional as the holiday itself, many Fresno residents said this year is different because of the uncertainty surrounding the economy, which has made traditional holiday spending more stressful for local families.<\/p>\n How a local anti-holiday Arthop event celebrated creativity over consumerism<\/p>\n For Quevedo, the annual holiday shopping rush felt like the perfect moment to do something different.<\/p>\n Quevedo coorganized on Dec. 4 what he called The Anti-Holiday X-mas Party<\/a>, also known as Essence of Art Hop: Ugly Sweater Edition, in collaboration with My Homie\u2019s Kitchen<\/a>. Rather than leaning into the commercial aspects of the season, he said the goal was to showcase Fresno\u2019s creative community.<\/p>\n \u201cThe main thing is to support local talent, local vendors that make jewelry and stuff like that,\u201d Quevedo said. \u201cInstead of having to go to the big stores, let\u2019s try to get some folks to come and fuck with us, and celebrate the creative people here in town.\u201d<\/p>\n The tongue-in-cheek branding, with its \u201canti-holiday\u201d theme and ugly sweater contest, served as both a critique and an invitation.<\/p>\n \u201cWe didn\u2019t want to say, \u2018Fuck Christmas,\u2019 that\u2019s not what we\u2019re saying,\u201d Quevedo said. \u201cHopefully people read between the lines. It\u2019s anti-corporate-ish.\u201d<\/p>\n He said the mood around the holidays may be shifting in Fresno. While major traditions like Christmas Tree Lane remain beloved, recent changes, such as the cancellation of \u201cwalk nights,\u201d <\/a>sparked frustration among community members, including himself.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat little stuff is kind of important,\u201d Quevedo said.<\/p>\n Angelica Quintero, who sold pens and assorted trinkets at the anti-holiday event, said she appreciates pop-up events that celebrate a different take on the holiday season\u2014inclusive spaces for people who don\u2019t connect with traditional Christmas imagery.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n Quintero launched her small business, Jelly Falls<\/a>, in 2020, inspired by her love for the Nintendo game Animal Crossing.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen you think of Christmas, what I see is a traditional Christian holiday,\u201d Quintero said. \u201cBut this is a way to embrace all people. It very much embraces the alternative side of things.\u201d<\/p>\n Quintero describes herself as Christian and says she loves Christmas, but in both her business and her full-time work with the public, she tries to hold space for different beliefs and celebrations.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you love Fresno, support its people,\u201d Quintero said. \u201cJust support small businesses, local businesses. It\u2019s hard to promote your business, so places like this are pretty cool. I\u2019ve learned a lot about Fresno within this space already and I\u2019ve lived here my whole life.\u201d<\/p>\n How a Fresno sharing collective is rethinking consumption<\/p>\n Besides shopping locally, a group of Fresno residents has challenged the holiday shopping frenzy with a \u201cBlack Friday Alternative\u201d sharing market<\/a>, held Nov. 22 at Jaswant Singh Khalra Park.\u00a0<\/p>\n The group, called Share Fresno<\/a>, is a grassroots mutual aid collective founded in May by community members who grew concerned about access to imported goods after the President Donald Trump administration announced high tariffs<\/a>. The group hosts events that encourage residents to rethink consumer culture.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was about coming together and sharing what we had instead of panicking,\u201d said Emily Cameron, one of the organizers. \u201cOur goal is to help people see that they can reuse or share what they already have, and not feel pressured to buy new things from big box stores.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Items shared at the event ranged from children\u2019s bikes and school supplies to clothing, household tools, and electronics. The requirement was for people to bring\u00a0 items they no longer needed, exchange them with others, and not sell anything.\u00a0<\/p>\n Share Fresno plans to continue the sharing events into the new year, with another gathering tentatively planned this spring. The organizers hope to expand beyond holiday-specific events and explore additional food-sharing initiatives.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a simple idea: What if we used something twice?\u201d Cameron said. \u201cWhat if we borrowed something instead of buying something that\u2019s probably not well made anymore? \u201cPeople are getting fed up with the predatory tactics of these big stores and hyper-consumerism culture.\u201d<\/p>\n Support our hyperlocal reporting with a donation today. <\/p>\n Every week we bring you deeply reported stories about the essential issues facing our region. Help us continue our work by becoming a monthly member. All donations are matched through 12\/31. <\/p>\n \n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n \t![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/1755305A-64C0-4982-A52F-03306F20229A_1_201_a.jpeg\")
Antonio Quevedo MC\u2019ing at The Anti-Holiday X-mas Party on December 4. Gisselle Medina | Fresnoland<\/p>\n