This article covers the history of department stores and retail in Palm Springs, California, particularly in that city's downtown.
Palm Springs Plaza, as it was then called, now La Plaza, opened November 1, 1936, one of the first shopping centers in Southern California with a single developer, owner and a uniform appearance, after Westwood Village (1929).
Desmond's (department store) was an original anchor[1][2][3][4] and continued to operate until 2005.
[8] After La Plaza was built, additional junior and full-line department stores started to be established on Palm Canyon Drive immediately adjacent to La Plaza.
Joseph Magnin Co. opened a 26,000 square foot department store in the mall in 1969,[14] meaning that together with a Sears at 611 Palm Canyon Dr., for two decades, downtown boasted seven department stores, plus the Palm Springs Mall 1.5 miles to the east operating from 1959 to 2005.