Retail

As Downtown Los Angeles has evolved over the last 25 years, so has its retail, with an increasing emphasis on branding, experience, and convenience, leveraging its inherent walkability, transit accessibility, central location, and identity as a regional destination.

On this page you will find key market stats and consumer demographics, highlighted retail and food & beverage categories, and an overview of DTLA’s unique retail clusters.

^{Source: DTLA Outlook & Insights Report, 2024}

From Pop-Ups to National Brands

Downtown LA Retail Report

For retailers, brokers and property owners interested in the dynamic DTLA market, the Downtown LA Retail Report provides useful stats, trends and demographics. You'll also find profiles of its unique districts, highlighting major projects, key corridors, what’s hot, and what opportunities are on the horizon.

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DTLA & The Future of Retail

The DTLA “brand” has grown over the past 25 years since the start of the Downtown Renaissance in 1999. Much of that identity is rooted in being a counterpoint to LA’s suburban sprawl. The urban lifestyle has drawn a wide range of creatives, professionals, and innovative businesses to the area, supercharged by a fast-growing residential community and complemented by robust offerings in arts & culture and sports & entertainment.

Jumpman LA will be a hub for up-and-coming artists to showcase their talent and make the space a place curated by the community for the community

Jordan Brand

Transformed for a new era, Apple Tower Theatre remains a home for creativity and innovation. It’s also a space where audiences can gather for live events, musical performances, and creative learning sessions.

Apple

Originals DTLA serves as a tribute to the city's roots while pushing forward with cutting-edge design. Spanning two levels, it will function as a community hub, hosting workshops, events, and collaborations with local artists, reflecting adidas’ deep ties to the creative heartbeat of Los Angeles.

Adidas

Retail Highlights

Whole Foods

Urban Outfitters

Uniqlo

Ross Dress For Less

Signature Locations

Signature locations serve not only as shopping destinations, but as critical brand representatives in key markets that communicate and reinforce their identity.

Bodega

Dover Street Market

Departamento

The Last Bookstore

Boutiques

While the big names may attract the biggest headlines, it is the more bespoke boutiques that give Downtown LA much of its character and reputation.

Chinatown

Santee Alley

Japanese Village Plaza

Jewelry District

Flower District

Local Flair

Downtown is home to several retail clusters of unique historic significance that remain vibrant hubs of commerce to this day.

Food & Beverage Highlights

Bestia

Girl & The Goat

Perch

Redbird

Spire 73

71Above

FINE DINING EXPERIENCES

Over the past 25 years, Downtown has gained recognition around the world for its culinary scene, boasting some of the top restaurants in Southern California.

Badmaash

Bike Shed Moto Co.

Grand Central Market

Pez Cantina

Villa's Tacos

Local Dining Experiences

In addition to its fine dining scene, DTLA’s foodie reputation comes from its “street food” roots, with many of its current stars having launched their careers with a stall or a food truck.

Mendocino Farms

Philz

Shake Shack

Sweetgreen

Taco Bell Cantina

Familiar Favorites

Downtown LA has experienced a steady flow of new openings from established and fast-growing chains across all segments of the market.

Bar CDMX

Broken Shaker

Lost DTLA

Wyman Bar

Bars & Nightlife

With a rich, diverse, and concentrated bar scene, Downtown also boasts the unique to LA benefits of being transit-accessible and walkable.

Neighborhoods

Financial District

Dense, diverse, and dynamic, the Financial District is the heart of DTLA. Sitting at the center of the region’s Metro rail system, and possessing an unparalleled selection of restaurants, it is the epitome of convenience. Rental and condo properties have added a residential community that keeps the neighborhood buzzing through the day and into the evening.

South Park

South Park is the premier sports and event destination of Southern California, with Crypto.com Arena, the L.A. LIVE entertainment complex, and the L.A. Convention Center attracting more than two million visitors annually. The area has also experienced massive population growth, becoming its own full-fledged residential community.

Historic Downtown

With its classic buildings adapted for office and residential use, this area boasts many of the things that originally put LA on the world stage – ornate movie palaces, showcase architecture, and the bustling Broadway corridor. It’s also where visitors can experience DTLA’s contemporary reputation as a one-of-a-kind food, arts, and shopping destination.

Arts District

Situated on the eastside of DTLA, adjacent to the LA River and railyards, the Arts District is famously home to galleries and cultural spaces, live/work lofts, and unique restaurants and retail in converted warehouses and former factories. It’s also become a haven of innovative space for technology, media, and other creative companies. The neighborhood’s buzz can be felt day and night and has made it one of the hottest real estate markets in the country.

Chinatown

Despite substantial demographic change, this area has managed to remain a destination for authentic regional Chinese culture and cuisine. More recently, it has attracted exciting new culinary and nightlife ventures. With several new residential developments in the works, the area is poised for significant growth in the coming years.

Fashion District

Once known exclusively as Downtown’s wholesale quarter, the Fashion District now counts more than 1,000 retail stores in its 100 blocks, selling everything from fabrics to flowers, and of course, fashion. Crowds come to peruse the deals at Santee Alley or take advantage of frequent “Sample Sale” events. It is home to an increasing number of residents and will be one of the fastest growing neighborhoods in DTLA.

Bunker Hill

A mix of soaring skyscrapers internationally known cultural institutions, and world-class architecture, Bunker Hill is also home to an increasing concentration of desirable residential properties. While bustling with office workers on weekdays, the success of The Broad, Disney Concert Hall, and adjacent culinary destinations has ushered in a new population, altering perceptions, and activating the area on evenings and weekends.

Little Tokyo

Not surprisingly, Little Tokyo boasts some of Downtown’s finest sushi and noodle restaurants while also embracing an increasingly diverse demographic. By day, the compact, pedestrian, and family-friendly district primarily serves a convenience function, while evenings draw a more youthful, energetic crowd.

DTLA Consumer Market

Experian Mosaic is the nation’s leading customer market segmentation tool. Downtown residents are highly concentrated in the Singles and Starters and Young City Solos market segments, whereas workers and visitors are more evenly spread across a range of segments.

17M+

Visitors per year

350K+

Workers per year

90K+

Residents per year

^{Source: DTLA Outlook & Insights Report, 2024}

DTLA Alliance Reports & Research

Our independent research and reports across key sectors of the Downtown LA market provide crucial data and analysis for developers, investors, and businesses when assessing the DTLA environment.

DTLA Reports & Research

Contact the Economic Development Team

The DTLA Alliance’s economic development department is your resource for information about Downtown LA. We are here to answer your questions, provide in-depth insights, lead custom tours, and much more.