Photo by Betsy Burrow
Elevated style, casual celebrity sightings and its small coastal town charm have made the Malibu Country Mart a cultural landmark since its opening.
For generations both old and young, the Country Mart serves as a community center to unwind and socialize. Junior Clare Mortimer said it almost functions as the city’s town square.
“I really love the Malibu Country Mart,” Mortimer said. “It’s such a good hub of food and shopping and just meeting people.”
However, the original concept for the Country Mart differs from what it is today. Fred Segal, owner of the luxury clothing store, originally bought the land in 1975 with the idea of bringing high-end fashion to Malibu. Malibu as a city wasn’t formally established until 1991, History Professor Megan Kendrick said.
Segal’s presence brought a wave of change to Malibu’s retail identity. Before his arrival, Malibu had been known more for its laid-back surf shacks and beach-bum fashion, Kendrick said. However, Segal transformed the former Malibu Colony Motel property into a destination for style.
Bringing High Fashion to Malibu
Segal originally owned plots of land and built up the Country Mart on the north side of Cross Creek Road, including the playground, said Cooper Deani, a long-term Fred Segal employee and Malibu native.
“A long time ago, when Fred Segal started doing the high-end thing in Malibu, it kind of was the first stone,” Deani said. “Now we have Paige over there, the Kith over there — it’s still very competitive in that area with all of the high-end fashion.”
Koss Real Estate bought the property in 1986 and continued this development, according to Los Angeles Times reporting.
Where the Fred Segal store now stands, on the south side of Cross Creek Road, was a movie theater until 2017.
“The space has been pretty iconic in the Country Mart for a really long time,” Deani said.
Even today, traces of that cinematic history remain.
“That’s why we have these theater curtains,” Deani said. “We’re kind of paying homage to the whole movie theater. We want to get a marquee as well. And we have a little popcorn machine that we bring out sometimes.”
The Early Days
While boutiques like Fred Segal helped redefine Malibu’s image, the Country Mart’s roots are deeply local.
“I’ve been here working for John’s Garden for 45 years,” said José Valle, lead cook at the sandwich shop. “I like it here. Well, there have been a lot of changes from when it first opened, even more now with the fires. A lot of business has gone down. At least 50% of business has gone down.”
Valle said he remembers a very different Country Mart from the one visitors and locals see today. His version was filled with celebrities, Malibu locals and a strong sense of community.
“When the Malibu Country Mart opened, it was so beautiful,” Valle said. “There were a lot of famous artists who would come by to shop as well — Madonna, Charlie Sheen and Martin Sheen are just a few of the artists I would see and serve on the regular.”
There is a strong historical connection between Malibu and the Hollywood stars seeking privacy away from the city. This links back nearly a century, when the Malibu Beach Colony began in 1926 as a small seaside community, according to Topanga News Times. By 1928, it had transformed into the Malibu Movie Colony, according to the City of Malibu.
Decades later, celebrity culture and trendsetting remains part of the Mart’s allure.
“I got to meet Simon Cowell, Kourtney Kardashian and a ton of other celebrities who come in just to feel that kind of community the store offered,” Mortimer said.
Mortimer said when she worked at The Malibu Colony Company, seeing celebrities was a norm she quickly became accustomed to. Everyone treated them like any other shopper and included them within the community.
Surviving Change
Valle said there’s been a decline in local patronage due to the fires and economic pressures that followed.
“Now, we’re seeing more tourists than locals,” Valle said. “Tourists mostly come to see the aftermath of the fires. Back when we first opened, there were not that many tourists. Mostly, it was just locals here.”
Between the 2018 Woolsey Fire and the COVID-19 pandemic, many shops faced closure, but the Palisades Fire increased the financial strain.
“The golden years of shopping and retail in this Mart were only a handful of years ago,” Deani said. “Even just after COVID, it was still pretty crazy. I would say the fires were kind of where things started to get rough here.”
Valle echoed this sentiment, recalling the toll on small businesses. The Palisades Fire damage in Malibu was extensive, with 234 businesses damaged and 99 destroyed, according to the Pepperdine School of Public Policy.
Economic stress led to the closure of several Country Mart businesses, Valle said. This includes The Malibu Colony Company, a locally owned gift shop that had served the community for over 30 years. The final economic blow came after the Palisades Fire, when no one had access to shop at the Country Mart, Mortimer said.
“The store was primarily geared toward locals,” Mortimer said. “When the fires happened, a lot of locals moved out of Malibu or lost their homes. No one was shopping.”
Mortimer said she is afraid the local shops will be replaced with retail store chains, leading the Mart to lose its charm. While Mortimer mourned the loss of the long-standing store, Valle reflected on what it took for his store to endure.
“I think it’s because business went down and the rent stayed high,” Valle said. “For a while, John’s Garden thought it might close as well. However, they got a lawyer, and all the businesses rallied together so that it wouldn’t close.”
That sense of solidarity is part of what has kept Valle at John’s Garden for so long.
“Even though we have been here for the longest, the owners have changed — we no longer have that relationship with the original owners,” Valle said. “But it’s comfortable. There are no problems here, and I have it good. It’s peaceful. A lot of the customers know my name.”
For Valle, the Country Mart’s charm is all about the locals. The enduring loyalty between locals and long-term workers has given the Country Mart a sense of continuity amid constant change.
“We have a really lovely relationship with the locals,” Valle said. “They will always come over to say hello to me, and I to them.”
Looking Forward
Deani sees that same potential for connection in newer generations. With Pepperdine nearby, he believes students can play a key role in the Mart’s future.
“I’m a firm believer that [Pepperdine students] are going to be the most impactful customers we could have in this area,” Deani said. “We try to cater to them a little bit more — we have a lot of cool vintage stuff, and a new denim brand that these two young, 20-year-old girls started.”
Both Deani and Valle hope to see more people rediscover the charm of the Malibu Country Mart.
“I would encourage people to come out to Malibu,” Deani said. “It’s still beautiful out here every single day, and there’s a lot to do.”
For newer residents and students, the Mart represents a familiar gathering spot amid Malibu’s slower recovery.
“You might not expect it, but like, there is a lot of community and a lot of love for the Country Mart,” Mortimer said. “These people, they have been shopping there for decades. I think you wouldn’t really expect how important the Country Mart is to locals.”
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Contact Cristal Soto via email: cristal.soto@pepperdine.edu
