UPDATE: On Tuesday, January 10, 2012, City Council voted to approve the Downtown Plan. Thank you to all those who helped support the Downtown Plan. Click below to read the original article…
Planning on getting some holiday shopping done this Thanksgiving weekend? Come out to Downtown Long Beach where Black Friday shopping kicks off at Walmart at 10 p.m. on Thursday, November 24! Walmart will be open for their regular business hours all day Thursday, but will start their Black Friday deals at 10 p.m. on Thursday, and will stay open for business until midnight on Friday, November 25. And, Walmart has rented out all the parking available at CityPlace to provide customers with a hassle free and cost free parking experience!
Other Downtown retailers are getting into the spirit, including Nordstrom Rack which will be open from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Friday, and Ross which will keep their doors open on Friday from 6 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.
In addition, this Saturday, November 26, 2011, is Small Business Saturday, which is dedicated to supporting small businesses on one of the busiest shopping weekends of the year. There are many small businesses in Downtown Long Beach offering specials to those who purchase something with their American Express Card as a part of Small Business Saturday. Click here to read about some of them.
Shopping locally provides a much needed boost to the local economy and helps curb retail leakage. Downtown Long Beach experiences retail leakage when Downtown residents, visitors and employees leave the area to purchase groceries, go to dinner, or buy new clothes. According to the DLBA’s 2011 Economic Profile, retail leakage in Downtown amounts to $38.5 million in food and beverage sales, and $157.2 million in retail goods and services sales in 2010.
Shopping at a small, local business takes the economic boost even further – According to the Institute for Local Self-Reliance, for every $100 spent at a local business, $45 stays within the within the community. Only $14 re-circulates when that $100 is spent at a national chain.
From record stores to unique eateries, 87% of the businesses in Downtown Long Beach are small businesses. The DLBA works year round to promote shopping locally. Through our Get it Here campaign, Shop Local Committee, and support of local business events and promotions via our website, social media, and e-newsletter, the DLBA works diligently to provide support for these hard-working entrepreneurs.
Happy Shopping!
The 3rd Annual Latin American Parade & Festival presented by Wal-Mart returns to the streets of Downtown Long Beach on September 10th. This year, we anticipate 1,000 parade participants, a dozen live performances and more than 50 vendor booths. Don’t miss the fun! Read more
Grab your lunch and head to Promenade Square Park for the Out to Lunch concert series every Friday in September from 12-2PM! The Downtown Long Beach Associates (DLBA) is pleased to host this FREE series of mini-concerts, inviting residents, visitors and Downtown employees to purchase ‘Lunch To-Go’ meals from participating restaurants (see below) while enjoying festive music from local performers. Feel free to bring a picnic blanket or lawn chair! Read more
DOWNTOWN LONG BEACH’S THIRD ANNUAL LATIN AMERICAN PARADE & FESTIVAL
EXTENDS DEADLINE FOR VENDOR AND PARADE PARTICIPANT APPLICATIONS
Long Beach, Calif. (August 18, 2011) — Due to the interest generating from the local community and businesses, the Downtown Long Beach Associates’ (DLBA) has decided to expand the Third Annual Latin American Parade and Festival, extending the application deadline for vendor and parade participants until Friday, August 25, 2011. The extension will allow additional vendors and community partners interested in becoming involved to submit their information for consideration. Read more
presented by 
The popular Taste of Downtown series returns in 2011 with three exciting events! Many of your favorite Downtown restaurants will be serving up sample sized portions of their signature dishes at each Taste event, while live music fills the air. Mark your calendars now to make sure you don’t miss out!
Back for the third year in a row, the DLBA and RDA will again produce the Summer And Music series.
SAM returns to the streets of Downtown Long Beach, with a concert every weekend throughout the summer.
The 3rd Annual Latin American Parade & Festival presented by Wal-Mart returns to the streets of Downtown Long Beach on September 10th. This year, we anticipate 1,000 parade participants, a dozen live performances and more than 40 vendor booths. Don’t miss the fun! Read more
presented by Wells Fargo
The Long Beach Bike Festival & Tour of Long Beach returns May 13-14, 2011, bringing fun for the whole family and cycling for a good cause! Join the fun as we continue to make Long Beach the most bicycle friendly city in America!
Read more
