Quick Take
As small businesses struggle to regain foot traffic after the pandemic thanks to the growing popularity of online shopping, downtown Santa Cruz comic store Comicopolis took to social media to issue a plea for help.
Around the country, small businesses are still struggling to bring back foot traffic post-pandemic amid the growing shift to online shopping. The holiday season has traditionally been a boon for downtown Santa Cruz businesses, but this year could be the last for at least one store.
Earlier this month, a frustrated Troy Geddes took to social media to prevail upon the community to help save the comics store he runs with Johnnie Arnold. Comicopolis has been selling comic books, games, puzzles and more for 27 years in Santa Cruz. In a post on the store’s Facebook page last week, Geddes said the store faced an uncertain future.
“With everything the way it is, our little store has taken a beating this year. At this stage, we’re doing everything we possibly can to stay open but to be honest, it’s not looking great,” the post read. “We are hopeful for a decent holiday season, but it looks like it’s going to be a very difficult one, so we need as much help as we can get.”
Geddes opened the store in 1997 on Water Street, inspired by his own lifelong obsession with comics. Arnold became a co-owner in 2007 and that year, the store moved to its current location at 829 Front St. Comicopolis stocks all genres of comic books and graphic novels, as well as a wide selection of board games. Geddes and Arnold are the store’s sole employees.
“Right now, we’re just getting through,” said Geddes, adding that customer count is down 20% from last year. “We’re not seeing the same foot traffic downtown like we used to.”
Geddes attributes the decrease in part to the relocated Santa Cruz Metro stops. The transportation agency has rerouted some of its stops as it constructs a new transit hub near Front and Laurel streets. That project isn’t set to be completed until February 2026.
“The Metro used to stop close to the store, which brought a lot of UC Santa Cruz students in, but now that it stops over by Trader Joe’s instead, that’s cut down on a lot of those shoppers,” said Geddes.
Another factor has been that neighboring store World of Stones and Mystics has reduced its hours due to the owner’s health, while parking concerns and ongoing housing construction are likely also playing a role, according to Geddes.
This year has been a challenging one for retail in downtown Santa Cruz, with the departure of two of the area’s larger stores. Grocery chain New Leaf Community Markets vacated its Pacific Avenue store in October with plans to open in Gateway Plaza on River Street next year. Fast fashion retailer Forever 21 is set to close its Pacific Avenue store at the end of January.
A report released last month by the National Federation of Independent Business, a nonprofit organization that advocates for small and independent business owners, found that small business optimism plunged during the pandemic and has yet to make a recovery, though it was up slightly in October.
“Although optimism is on the rise on Main Street, small business owners are still facing unprecedented economic adversity,” said the organization’s chief economist, Bill Dunkelberg, in a statement. “Low sales, unfilled job openings and ongoing inflationary pressures continue to challenge our Main Streets, but owners remain hopeful as they head toward the holiday season.”
Geddes said he and Arnold are among those hoping that holiday shoppers will provide some support. Since posting his plea to the community on social media, “it’s been heartwarming to see more people come in.” He’s also working to see if he can renegotiate lease terms with the store’s landlord, and moving to a new location isn’t off the table, either.
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