The concept of pop up shops is booming, with many brands looking to boost their presence on the high street without a long term lease. If you want to test your concept out on the world, then here’s how to do it.
Design the Whole Experience
A pop up shop isn’t just a constant retail space, it’s more of an experience for your visitors. They’ll be drawn in by the fact it won’t be around for long and want to experience something totally different. It’s up to you to define and then design this.
If you’re looking for inspiration, then check out Retail Design by Found. They create amazing retail spaces that can be temporary too, so it’s a great place to get some ideas for your own store.
At the heart of the experience, you want what you do to be the star. Entice people in with the feeling of the store and then sell your product alongside it. For those in the image sector, make your customers feel beautiful and pampered, then they’re much more likely to splash out.
Find a Good Location
A good location comprises of many factors, from the demographic of the population to the cost to lease. You’ll find that some of these retail spaces won’t offer a short term lease, so you have to be ready for rejection should this be the case.
Think about the size of the surrounding neighbourhood and who lives there before you rent. For example, if you have a high end makeup brand, then you want to be in an upmarket area with a younger demographic. Do a bit of research to make sure you know who you’re close to.
Make sure you have enough space to accommodate your customers too. While having a long line at a grand opening is a great time, you don’t want to have them waiting for too long.
Promote your Shop
If your shop is only there for a short time, then you need to get your name out there quickly. Unlike longer term brands, you don’t have the luxury of waiting to be noticed in the community. Outreach to bloggers and influencers to tap into their audience.
Having a closed press night is a good way to build up hype for the opening. Select some local and national outlets to invite along, then treat them to a closed evening in the pop up shop. Do this with enough time before the grand opening so they can report back and get your name out there.
You can also reach out on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter using paid ads. Again, you want to make sure this is targeted correctly to your ideal customer that will come along and spend with you. It’s all about building up the brand to this community and teaching them what you have to offer.
A pop up shop is an exciting venture, so make sure you prepare the perfect experience for your customers, then the day will go off amazingly well.
Image: Pixabay
