Family-owned neighborhood store now features over 15 vendors offering vintage clothing, handmade accessories and jewelry in-store
By ALEXANDRA SHAPIRO — city@theaggie.org
Davis’ Neighborhood Market, founded in 2022, is held every other Saturday afternoon. The pop-up was initially held at University Mall but has since moved to G Street.
The market started with six siblings who were passionate about meeting new people and sharing creativity.
“Our family upbringing instilled the entrepreneurship spirit into all of us,” Alex Barreto, one of the primary founders, said. “We’ve all vended at markets in Sacramento but slowly transitioned to full-time collectors.”
Alex Barreto’s brother, Eric Barreto, attended UC Davis and saw a rich fashion culture but a need for more opportunities.
“There weren’t many events or places to go and gather with your friends to find cool stuff,” Alex Barreto said. “We all came up with the idea [for the market] and haven’t looked back since.”
To secure the necessary permits to operate the market, the Barretos have “worked closely with the city of Davis” to continue hosting events. With the market’s success, the Barretos decided to venture into a new business. Alex Barreto suggested to Jake Starnes, the owner of Vault Board Shop, to split the store between vintage items and skateboard goods. “[Starnes] has always shown tremendous support for our vision, so it was an easy decision,” Alex Barreto said.
This idea came to fruition with the launch of the Neighborhood Store, now located within Vault on G Street. Open seven days a week from 12 to 7 p.m., shoppers can explore a diverse selection of over 15 unique brands — from Y2K button-ups to knit tops to patchwork jeans. Kodai Gosse, owner of Hangup Vintage and a vendor of the neighborhood store, appreciates the new collaboration.
“It is literally a combination of two of my main interests,” Gosse said. Gosse is grateful for the connections he has made through selling vintage clothing.
“I have learned so much from so many people over this past year of reselling,” Gosse said. “I feel that I have grown so much.”
Alex Barreto says the best part of their job is building relationships with vendors and patrons.
“[It’s] creating a space where the community can share their passion for past fashion,” Alex Barreto said. “The most recent examples are seeing parents and grandparents find a past item they remember and telling the younger generation about it.” Des, a fourth-year clinical nutrition major and vintage vendor, began thrifting as a hobby. Over time, an overflowing closet led him to start selling lesser-worn pieces.
“To my surprise, sales were going up consistently, which brought me to where I am today,” Des said. Des emphasized the advantages of supporting small businesses beyond the unique shopping experience.
“Shopping small helps against fast fashion, unfair international clothing manufacturers practices and to reduce clothing waste in the landfills,” Des said.
Des also shared advice about how to manage a small business.
“My advice is to be yourself as individuality is important, to have good customer service skills and to be consistent,” Des said. “Also, it’s crucial not to overstock inventory until you make a consistent profit. Lastly, the most important step in this process is to have an optimistic mindset and to do what you love.”
Written by: Alexandra Shapiro — city@theaggie.org
