Cash Mob Helps Sales at Pinnacle

It could have been a scene out of "It's a Wonderful Life," except for a few key details: It's not Christmas and Malibu doesn't have much of a chance to get snow.

Around 40 shoppers converged on , a locally owned clothing boutique, on Pacific Coast Highway and Kanan Dume Road in Malibu on Saturday, as part of Preserve Malibu's first ever "cash mob."

The only requirement was to show up and spend at least $20, according to the group's Facebook page. Word about the cash mob -- which is when a group of people go into small, local businesses and spend money -- spread on social media sites and through word of mouth.

"It was like a surprise party," said the store's co-owner Jillian Rydell, who took over part of the store's ownership from her mother, Gail, in 2001.

She now runs it alongside Leslie Goldstein, her mother's good friend.

"My mother opened Pinnacle with her best friend Leslie as a pillow and frame store [in 1978]," Rydell said. The store was then located at PCH across from the Malibu Pier, and has sold everything from vintage clothing to newer styles.

Goldstein told Patch that the cash mob reminded her of the old days in Malibu, when locals would meet up.

"Everyone shopped. Laughed and traded ideas about Malibu. Many said they forgot what a great store Pinnacle is," Goldstein said.

Rydell said she was happy to see locals supporting a locally owned shop.

"This really, really gave us the boost that we needed to make it through the rest of the year," she said, adding that business normally picks up in late May and early June.

Rydell added that the cash mob shows that locals are taking action to prevent more chain stores from coming into Malibu.

"A lot of [the locals] talk about how they don’t want to see another [mom and pop store] go out of business. They don’t want to lose that country feel," Rydell said. "They have to realize you have to walk the talk too."

Preserve Malibu, which aims to support the general plan of Malibu to protect its rural characteristics and natural resources, could hold more cash mobs in the future.