When popular online makeup brand Glossier hosted their pop-up shops in various cities throughout the world, lines formed around the block for a chance to get inside and enjoy the experience of physically shopping for products that are traditionally only found online.
These connections with shoppers are just one of many benefits of hosting a pop-up shop. Pop-ups are an opportunity for brands to advertise, draw in customers, and, of course, make money.
Brands both big and small are benefiting from this type of advertising and selling. While ecommerce brands can use pop-ups to give customers a physical space to shop for products, brick-and-mortars can also host one to advertise a new product offering or bring in new attention.
How to Host a Pop-Up Shop
The first step to hosting a successful pop-up shop is to pick the right space. The space you choose will determine the vibe of your shop. Though there are many different types of pop-up spaces, some popular choices include:
- Dedicated pop-up shop rental spaces
- Parks and outdoor lots
- Open sections of existing retail stores
- Coffee shops
- A mobile van or truck
The spot you choose should have a mixture of foot traffic and parking space for those who choose to drive. It should also fit the needs of your shop — for example, if your pop-up is going to include a live music element, you shouldn’t put it in the middle of an existing store that might have sound limitations.
Once you’ve got your spot secured, it’s time to plan your event. While some pop-up shops are simply an offering of online products, others choose to include some sort of entertainment element. And since half of pop-up consumers attend out of curiosity, it may work in your favor to have some sort of entertainment on site.
Entertainment could mean live music, a photo booth, food vendors, a workshop, or a discussion. Book entertainment that matches your brand’s vibe and fits in with the mission of your shop.
For example, popular dog toy brand Bark hosted a pop-up shop during which they outfitted dogs with electronic collars that tracked their playing habits in a large room full of the company’s toys. After the dogs were done playing, their owners could use the information collected by the collar to learn what type of toys their dog enjoyed the most.
This entertainment element provided fun for the dogs and their owners, while still tying back to Bark’s ultimate mission to sell dog toys.
From there, it’s time to market. Pop-ups can benefit from target geo-location advertising to people in the area where your shop will be held, from social media ads to print ones in newspapers or billboards. You can also make use of your mailing list to attract your loyal customers to your shop.
At the end of the day, pop-up shops are a great way for brands to connect with their audience and increase sales. For more information on hosting one, check out the following infographic from Thimble.
Please include attribution to Thimble if sharing this graphic.