Astoria’s Spring Retail Crawl returns today. Photo courtesy of Nicole Panettieri.
April 25, 2025 By Shane O’Brien
The 8th-annual Astoria Spring Retail Crawl returns Friday, April 25, encouraging local residents to support small, independently owned businesses in the neighborhood.
The popular retail crawl, founded by Brass Owl owner Nicole Panettieri, features 26 local businesses and runs from Friday, April 25, until Sunday, May 4. This gives shoppers 10 days to browse through their favorite local stores.
The spring retail crawl has been expanded from seven days to ten days to give customers more time to explore the neighborhood and discover new favorites at their own pace.
Each customer can collect a “passport” at each participating business and earn tiered prizes by shopping at five, eight, ten, or 12 different stores throughout the ten-day event and collecting a stamp for each purchase they make.
Via @shopsmallastoria on Instagram
Customers will receive different prizes depending on how many stamps they receive over the ten-day period. For example, if they make five purchases during the retail crawl, they will receive a coupon book for local businesses.
Anyone who visits eight stores will receive the coupon book and a canvas tote, while shoppers who make their way to at least ten stores will receive those two items plus a candle made by Astoria candle maker 2nd Chance Candles.
Photo courtesy of Nicole Panettieri.
Customers who visit 12 stores or more will receive an exclusive one-size-fits-all hat, plus all of the above.
Shoppers are encouraged to turn in their completed passports to the Brass Owl, located at 36-19 Ditmars Blvd., by Friday, May 9 in order to receive their prizes.
Via @shopsmallastoria on Instagram
Panettieri, who founded the Shop Small Astoria retail crawl for the 2015 holiday season before expanding to a second spring retail crawl, noted that there were just 11 participants in the inaugural event, compared to the 26 participating businesses in the 2025 event.
“(It is) a testament to the strength of our community. This crawl is a celebration of that love and a vital way to support the local economy,” Panettieri said.
Panettieri said the retail crawl is more than just a shopping trip, describing the event as an opportunity to invest in the businesses that make Astoria unique. She also stated that for every dollar spent at a small business in the USA, 67 cents remain in the local community, supporting the many independent businesses that call Astoria home.
Panettieri believes the Spring Retail Crawl is “more important than ever,” stating that small businesses are facing a steep decline in consumer spending in 2025. Some businesses have even reported a decline of up to 40%, Panettieri said, stating that factors such as inflation and consumer inflation have played a role in downward trends.
She described the retail crawl as a “fun, feel-good way” to support small businesses.
Full list of participating businesses in the 2025 Spring Retail Crawl
1. Anoria Boutique
2. The Astoria Bookshop
3. The Brass Owl
4. Broadway Silk
5. Chateau Le Woof
6. Disco Paws
7. Fern Botanica
8. Gamestoria NYC
9. Gift Box
10. Hara NYC
11. Hellenic Aesthetic
12. Honey House
13. Incasa Decor
14. Lockwood Gift
15. Lockwood Paper
16. Lockwood Style
17. LoveDay 31
18. Museum of Nostalgia
19. NY City Succulents
20. Pancakes Records
21. Pimbeche Vintage
22. Regal Beagle
23. Side B
24. Silver Age Comics
25. The Tiny Owl
26. Whiskers Pet
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