INTRODUCTION
There is real value in physical retail. But it can be expensive, slow to develop and risky. There’s a solution out there… Pop-Ups. You aren’t locked into a long-term lease. The CapEx can be minimal. You can get open quickly. You can test and learn new ideas, assortments, experiences. You can be seasonally relevant.
Why aren’t we seeing more Pop-Up shops? There’s still a fair number of empty storefronts out there. Still. What’s holding brands and developers back?
George Bird, Director of Customer Experience at MERGE guides us through the opportunity Pop-Up presents.
THE FIRST POP-UP
We didn’t research this definitively, but we sure had fun talking about what we should consider to be the first Pop-Up.
TYPES OF POP-UPS
Our discussion then led to defining Pop-Up (George’s definition: Temporary retail location that can be anything from a tent to a temporary tenant in an empty store front.) and talking about different types or classifications, including:
- Mobile, or portable, retail (i.e., food trucks)
- Opportunistic (i.e., SXSW, US Open, Coachella, etc.)
- Testing a concept, or proof of concept (i.e., Nordstrom Local, Nike Live, etc.)
- Store in Store or Shop in Shop (i.e., collaborations at Target, etc.)
- Putting your big toe in the proverbial brick and mortar water (i.e., Warby Parker, Superga, Mercari, etc.)
PRACTICAL ADVICE
We spent time discussing benefits of Pop-Ups, enablers and barriers.
RESEARCH AND LINKS
Olivia’s Flower Truck
Lancaster Cupcake
· https://www.lancastercupcake.com/cupcake-truck
Nordstrom Local
Warby Parker
· https://blog.warbyparker.com/pop-in-nordstrom/
Mercari
· https://chainstoreage.com/online-resale-retailer-debuting-pop-shop
Superga
· https://altterrain.com/footwear-pop-up-shop-experiential-marketing-activation/
Consumers want it all: Hybrid shopping, sustainability, and purpose-driven brands
Box Pop
Why stores – like one permanent pop-up – should be designed more like Lego sets
Clemens en August
CONCLUSION
George summarized our conversation brilliantly, “Go out on a limb and create more fun engaging spaces. Make them pop-ups to test the concept! We have been stuck in our homes for the past 2 years due to the pandemic and to have some fun destinations to go to would be a welcome treat.”
Thank you for listening. Please share your comments. And let’s go shopping!
Jeff Fisher & Cristene Gonzalez-Wertz
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RETAIL DONE RIGHT is produced and hosted by Jeff Fisher & Cristene Gonzalez-Wertz