He’s founded a record label in Seattle and opened a hair salon in New York. Now, entrepreneur James Morelos has settled in Palm Springs, opening one of the trendiest new stores to the city.
“I’ve spent my entire life creating platforms for talented people to flourish, whether they are a hairdresser or a designer or a songwriter,” Morelos said. “I just love working with creatives and experiencing all of their genius vicariously.”
Market Market sits south of downtown Palm Springs, at the former location of the Stein Mart department store, which closed after the company went bankrupt in 2020. Within its 37,000 square feet, artists, vintage collectors and craftsmen have gathered together to sell their wares in a unique shop-within-a-shop arrangement.
The store has its own bar and regularly allows a high-fidelity DJ to entertain guests. A mural from local artist Sofia Enriquez, whose art was featured in 2019’s Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival, sits in the middle of the store. Celebrities and stylists are said to shop there. The store offers a combination of original art pieces and antique items that have been skillfully plucked and repurposed from the past.
“A lot of people come in and don’t really know what they’re going to find,” said store manager Najeera Lockhart. “It’s like a treasure trove in here.”
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
After opening around two years ago, the shop has quickly become a go-to destination for locals and tourists alike. The New York Times even identified it as a stop in its recent list of things to do and see in 36 hours in Palm Springs.
“I’ve been in the retail business almost since I was little in Des Moines, Iowa and never seen anything quite like this,” said collector Jim Gaudineer, who sells antiques in Market Market. “I think people are going to be repeating this in different ways — twist this and that — but you’re going to see more and more of this.”
Morelos, 51, grew up in Los Angeles before moving to Seattle in his 20s. He described himself as an indie rocker, who started the record label Made in Mexico to release music for some of his friends. Some of the bands and musicians his label managed included Pedro the Lion and Damien Jurado, whose music has gone on to garner millions of streams.
Just a few years after starting the label, he impulsively moved to New York, saying he “grew out of” the music scene of the city.
His decision to drastically change the direction of his career comes from an instinct he says has served him well throughout his career.
“If I have a notion of something I want to do, I literally will jump without even thinking twice about it,” he said. “I think that’s partially why I’ve been so successful. Because I do it without fear. I mean, trust me, every time I have a new endeavor, I think, ‘Oh, my God, what have I gotten myself into?’ But that’s only for a second. The rest of the time, I’m stoked, and I’m just going for it.”
He switched focus once again in the 2014, opening Phoenicia Flea in upstate New York. Phoenicia Flea is now described as a “nomadic market” of makers and merchants who roam the state selling handcrafted goods at pop-up locations.
The artisanal flea market allowed Morels to do something he has continued to do all the way up to his time in Palm Springs, work with talented people and help spread their work.
“I never learned to play the guitar, I never learned to cut hair. The thought of making anything gives me anxiety,” he said. “But I like finding the talent that does that and celebrating them.”
Morelos moved to Palm Springs during the COVID-19 pandemic, first opening Mojave Flea Trading Post — a smaller store that also focuses on “experiential” shopping — before deciding to open Market Market. So far, his impulse has appeared to pay off. The store has maintained consistent business even as business activity in the Coachella Valley retreated from the highs of the pandemic. And as word has spread about the store, new customers have come in.
“Palm Springs retail really thrived for us, then it like really propelled us to get to where we are now,” Morelos said. “There are challenges, because the pendulum sort of swung the other way, and people aren’t buying as much now as they did four years ago. But we still have the best chance because of our location, because of our size, because of our reputation. And even now when the state of the world is very, very, scary about what’s going to happen the next four years, we still believe that we can be a joyful experience through anything.”
Sam Morgen covers the city of Palm Springs for The Desert Sun. Reach him at smorgen@gannett.com.
