Like the latest hipster trend, Pop-Up shops have taken over High Streets, markets, art galleries and pretty much any other place where you can set up a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it business. They are so attractive that you may even be tempted to set one up of your own, and I wouldn’t blame you. BUT keep in mind that while they may look simple, there’s a lot more to them than meets the eye.
What is a Pop Up Shop?
A pop up shop is a temporary space for someone to sell their products. It is a regular shop with the only difference being that it’s got an expiration date. Unlike a pop-up book, though, they don’t magically appear when you turn a page. A lot more work goes into it.
- The Benefits of running a Pop-Up Shop
- It creates urgency for customers
- It’s cheaper than a regular shop
- It gives you a chance to test a new market, neighbourhood, product with little risk
- It’s an opportunity to take advantage of high traffic during special dates
Is it for you?
It is important to think if a Pop-Up shop is a good idea for your business. Just because everybody else is doing it, it doesn’t mean you have to do it as well. Pop Up shops are a good idea for launching a new product, running a promotion, or taking advantage of a special occasion. They are also great for testing the waters of a physical space if you’ve only been selling online until now. Since there is an end date the risks and investments are lower than if you commit to a “real” shop.
Who’s your customer?
If you already have an established online business then you’ve probably already filled the following questionnaire. Still, it might be worth refreshing the following points if you’re expanding your business from the virtual world to the physical one. Answering these questions will also help you with points we’ll cover ahead in this post. An few examples of questions you might want to answer are:
- How old are they?
- What job do they have?
- Where do they hang out?
- What’s their marital status?
- What are they hobbies?
Think of your story-telling
What is it exactly that you want to tell? How do you set yourself apart from the competition? An engaging Pop-Up shop goes beyond arranging products in a fancy way. A well implemented brand strategy will tell a story instead of selling. You can show your brand’s personality through graphic design, visual merchandising and even staff uniforms! If you want to find out more about brands and their storytelling, you might want to check a blog post we did a couple of months ago on brand archetypes.
