From Where We Are

High prices and low traffic: Why USC Village pop-ups keep leaving

Students in line at Dulce
Students wait in line at Dulce in the USC Village. (Photo by Liam Ervin)

The USC Village is experiencing a familiar pattern: new stores arrive, then shut down months later. Hydroware is the latest pop-up to test the market. Long-standing businesses credit their survival to consistency and campus engagement, while new vendors face a competitive market shaped by affordability and dropping foot-traffic.