While Coachella may bring over 200,000 visitors to the Coachella Valley, the ripple effects don’t always extend to every corner of the desert — especially not downtown Palm Springs. Our very own Jeff Witthuhn, owner of Peepa’s, recently spoke to KESQ in two separate interviews about the reality many small businesses face during the music festival weekends taking place in the eastern part of the valley.
Contrary to the belief that Coachella creates a shopping frenzy all across the valley, Jeff shared that the weekends actually tend to be quieter for Peepa’s and other downtown shops.
"If I look at Saturday in March versus a Saturday during Coachella, it's probably about a 40 to 50% decrease," Jeff told KESQ.
For a lot of local businesses in central Palm Springs, Coachella weekend can bring a noticeable dip in sales and customer traffic. That’s not to say it’s all crickets — there is some activity, but it doesn’t quite match up to the energy found closer to the festival grounds.
"Overall, the Coachella weekends for us are quieter than what people kind of think is the going standard — that it's really crazy downtown,” Jeff explained. “This year we’ve had a pretty good weekend."
There were some bright spots, like a pop of foot traffic on Thursday and into Friday morning.
“Foot traffic was kind of heavy Thursday and then Friday morning,” Jeff said. “And then Saturday and Sunday seemed to be more just regular folks that were here visiting and not so much the Coachella group."
For a business like Peepa’s, built around joyful, curated style and a deep connection to the local community, Coachella isn’t really the main event. And that’s okay. We’re here for the folks from the Coachella Valley and from around the world who stroll in ready to discover something fun, bold, or unexpected — music festival or not.
So if you’re thinking about making a trip to Palm Springs during one of the busiest times of year, consider this your sign to head to beautiful downtown and discover what this little slice of paradise is all about. The air’s a little calmer, the shops are just as stylish, and we’d love to see you.
Watch the first interview here on KESQ
Watch the second interview here on KESQ
And when you're in Palm Springs, don't forget to visit Peepa's at 120 N. Palm Canyon Dr. and Peepa's Men's Store right next door at 114 N. Palm Canyon Dr, right in the heart of beautiful downtown Palm Springs!