SMALL BUSINESS SATURDAY: Community Marketplace in Moorpark

Just a reminder about Moorpark’s Community Marketplace.  And since it’s Small Business Saturday…well, you can’t find smaller businesses anywhere.  Come by and check them out!

By Debra Tash

Moorpark’s Community Marketplace opened its doors on Halloween, a portent of things to come or just really good timing for the upcoming holiday shopping season?  Forty percent of its 175 booths were rented and it looks as if more will be signing on soon.

The Marketplace is the brainchild of Manny Asadurian Jr. He had first looked to Thousand Oaks for his upscale swap meet.  However the city council gave the concept the boot even though the application had been approved by their planning commission.  Asadurian then attempted to locate the Marketplace on the Kalvico campus owned by Sunbelt Enterprises and Fred Kavli.  However by December 2013, the council directed the project halted due to a security issue with Schneider Electric, a company that works on high level government projects and now owns Kalvico.  But there is a happy ending and it’s over on Science Drive in the cavernous building once occupied by the catalog firm, U.S. Sales,  79,042 feet of 253,00 available space.

Asadurian and his consultant once balked at having their project labeled a swap meet, now its touted on the Marketplace website: Indoor Swap Meet Redefined. It is something of a hybrid, a blend of upscale mini shops, craft fair and just downright, what’s that doing in here?  There are high end jewelers, handmade items that are really quite unique and well worth the price, along with a paralegal service and Comerica Bank…to open an account perhaps?  There’s the Somis Nut House, live plants for sale, flavored oils, soaps and so much more. It’s actually a very fun place to shop.  So much fun, some of my money parted company with me when I visited.

The booths are small, but some vendors occupy more than one space.  They’re reminiscent of Public Storage units with those roll-up doors.  Even so, as the Bard said, don’t judge a book by its cover or a shop by its door, there is some mighty fine stuff for you to buy. 

The Community Marketplace is well worth a look and I like what I bought.  Whether it will do well after the last present is given this season remains to be seen. For now, why not go check it out.

       Open every FRI, SAT and SUN

        10 AM to 6 PM rain or shine.

        709 Science Drive, Moorpark, CA 93021

        Toll Free: (800) 278-9695

        Direct Line: (805) 222-6082

Community Marketplace website:  http://www.shopcommunitymarketplace.com/marketplace-info/

 Prior Citizens Journal Article

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Debra Tash is Editor-in-Chief of Citizensjournal.us, past president for Citizens Alliance for Property Rights, business executive and award-winning author, residing in Somis.

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