POP Goes the Store!

Why pop-up shops are cropping up in retail spaces from coast to coast

by Erinn Morgan

In today's fast-paced culture replete with everything from quick communication to quick fixes, the pop-up shop is the answer to quick retail. A pop-up retail space literally “pops up” one day and disappears anywhere from a weekend to six months later. “In retail we have ‘bricks’ (physical stores), ‘clicks’ (the internet), and the latest trend ‘quicks,’ or pop-up retail,” says Christina Norsig, a New-York based e-commerce guru that runs Pop-Up Insider (popupinsider.com), a company that unites landlords with pop-up tenants.

POP-UP DEFINED

Originally launched to build marketing buzz for retail or product brands with unique, targeted, and temporary consumer exposure during the holiday shopping season, pop-up shops have transcended into year-round events. They are often interactive, sometimes revolving around testing a new product, are usually set up with an exciting store design, and in some cases, even offer free products. Standout examples include Gucci's Gucci Icon-Temporary pop-up shops, launched in seven cities around the world in 2009, and Procter & Gamble's 10-day New York pop-up store, which gave away free CoverGirl makeovers and Head & Shoulders wash-and-blow-dry services to its 14,000 visitors in 2010. On the eyewear front, Sunglass Hut and Prada launched an eyewear pop-up shop devoted entirely to Prada sunglasses in the retailer's Rockefeller Center location in 2009. After the special event, their partnership was extended to other Sunglass Hut locations across the U.S.

Transitions Optical will utilize the pop-up concept at upcoming PGA Tour events, including The Players Championship in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., and The Barclays in Edison, N.J.. The photochromic lens maker will educate spectators about healthy sight and the sports performanceenhancing benefits of Transitions lenses at a 400-square-foot space where they can purchase Transitions SOLFX sunwear and view demonstrations of Transitions eyewear.

The Solstice Sunglass Boutique's Carrera pop-up shop attracted attention at the celebrityinfused Carrera Escape event in New York City last summer

POP-UP TRENDS

To get the lowdown on this developing retail trend, we asked Norsig for a bird's-eye view of pop-ups.

EB Why is the pop-up store trend growing today?

CN We have seen an uptick in inquiries from both property owners and brokers interested in renting out temporary space because having someone pay rent for one month, or even one week, puts cash in their pockets.

Any property owner with a vacant shop is not making money on that space. So having any tenant will provide some financial relief.

EB On average, what is the length of tenancy?

CN There really is no average length. They can vary from a weekend, to a week, to a month, to six months.

EB Can pop-up stores work for a variety of retail categories?

CN Eyewear is no different than any other fashionable product and can certainly benefit from the value of pop-up stores.

While most companies may have initially invested in the idea from a financial standpoint, many are starting to see the long-term benefits in brand awareness and customer interaction and loyalty. While it's hard to quantify it, if a pop-up shop sells out before the temporary lease is up, I'd say it was quite a success.

EB What do pop-up stores offer consumers?

CN Today's consumer mentality lends itself to pop-up stores. Shoppers are able to interact on a much more personal basis with brands and products and there is a feeling of being on the inside of something special, such as getting access to limited collections distributed by larger retailers.

THE TAKEAWAY

How can ECPs benefit by jumping on the pop-up bandwagon? Partner with one of your favorite brands to create an in-house pop-up shop.

1. GET A CONCEPT: Choose your partner vendor and discuss the size, location, and look of your in-store pop-up shop. Determine how long this pop-up shop will run.
2. GET IT GOING: Team up with your staff and sales rep to set up your in-store pop-up shop, complete with lots of eyewear styles, P.O.P. materials, and perhaps even some cross-merchandised accessories from the brand you've chosen, such as handbags, jewelry, and shoes.
3. GET MARKETING: Drive traffic into your eyewear pop-up shop. Let your customers and your local community know about your unique effort via a marketing plan that could include email alerts, print advertising, plus flyers in your office as well as other local businesses. EB