So What is a Pop-Up Shop?

The term ‘pop-up shop’ is used to describe a temporary retail location or even an event. Other terms that you might hear are flash retail and pop-up store. No matter what term is used, the one thing about all pop-ups are that they are temporary.

Pop-up shops are creating a re-thinking/re-evaluation of traditional brick and mortar stores. Some pop-up shops are held outdoors, similar to a fair while others are held indoors in a typical, or even an atypical, retail location.

Pop-up shops can take many forms.  Some pop-up shops are to generate interest in a single brand or a product.  Gucci, Levi’s and Nike all have had pop-up shops to generate interest in their brand.  A kiosk in the mall can also be considered a pop-up.  The Halloween Store is also a pop-up.  Other pop-up shops have multiple vendors.  Multiple vendor pop-up shops can include only food or jewelry vendors or any number of products. Some vendors rent local retail shops for short periods, modestly decorate and then open for a short term.

A pop-up can also be a permanent retail location with multiple vendors who rent space for a short term.  In a permanent location, vendors can rent space for a day, a week or even a month to six months or more.  Just think, vendors can try out a retail space for any length of time that they choose and determine whether or not they are ready for a brick and mortar location.

What a pop-up is not, is a flea market, tag sale or garage sale. The purpose for every pop-up shop is to promote a product or a brand, to try that product or brand in a retail setting, generating interest and brand awareness.

Pop-ups were showing up as early as the 1990′s in larger urban cities.  NYC, Tokyo, London and Los Angeles are just a few of the cities where pop-ups started to become popular.  Many, many different products are sold within the pop-up model creating a creativity and vibrancy not otherwise seen.  Almost every type of consumer product has at one point or another be marketed through pop-up retail.

Benefits of a pop-up include:

1. Connecting with local customers:
2. Creating awareness of companies that may have been E-commerce only businesses
3. Building awareness of your business to customers that may not have noticed otherwise
4. Launching a pop-up is less costly than opening a traditional brick and mortar location and potentially less risky
5. A pop-up shop allows you to connect with customers, testing your product and your brand

Anyone can start a pop-up shop-that is anyone who has a small or micro home-based business looking to become the next ‘big thing.’  You don’t have to be a big box or chain store to open a pop-up.