Pop-up shops seem to have grown in popularity over the last few years, with more and more online retail businesses looking to expand to in-person retail spaces as part of their post-pandemic marketing strategies. Opening a store in a physical location can be an excellent way for small business owners to attract new potential customers, trial new products, or test the waters before opening a permanent brick-and-mortar store. Wondering how to do a pop-up shop? Look no further — we’ve got you covered.
In this comprehensive guide, we’ll look at what pop-up stores are, give you some pop-up shop ideas, and tell you everything you need to know about how to do a pop-up shop.
A pop-up shop is a form of flash retailing. It’s a short-term or temporary retail store designed to have a short life span.
A pop-up shop lets customers come in and try products that they’d usually only be able to purchase online. It’s also a fantastic way for retailers to sell seasonal goods. Stores selling Christmas decorations might do very well in December but are unlikely to be profitable during the rest of the year. A pop-up store is a perfect solution to this issue, as the retailer can rent a temporary space to sell their products when they know the market is right.
Some pop-up stores focus on trends they expect to pass quickly. Entrepreneurs who know and follow trends can set up a pop-up store to capitalize on those fads before they become outdated.
If you run an online business on an e-commerce platform like Shopify or Wix, a pop-up event can be a fantastic way to showcase your merchandise to a broader range of customers. People walking past your pop-up store might drop in and try your products — even if they haven’t heard of your online brand.
Pop-ups are an excellent way to boost your marketing efforts, particularly if you want to target consumers in a specific location.
Pop-ups can help you build brand awareness, but they also make it easy to conduct market research into an area. If you’re considering opening a physical location for your retail business, doing a pop-up retail event lets you find out:
If consumers in the area are open to your brand
If a particular location could be a good setting for your store
If there are any competitors in your area.
Think of your pop-up as a hands-on market research tool or a trial run before you open your doors permanently.
Now that you know why a pop-up could help your business, we’ll show you how to do a pop-up shop in six simple steps.
The key to doing a successful pop-up shop is research and planning.
You’ve decided to put on a pop-up — why? The answer to this question will be crucial in your planning stages. Is it your goal to convert sales at the pop-up itself or show off your wares to new customers and generate leads? This will affect the type of event you run.
It’s also essential that you research your target market. If your ideal customer isn’t the type to visit a shopping center, you’ll need to find a location in a different setting. Your prospective customer base can impact various elements of your retail operations, such as how you decorate the space and market your event.
With a clear idea of your purpose and target audience, it’s time to find the perfect pop-up space. Finding the right real estate for a temporary retail store is critical. You want somewhere with high levels of foot traffic to ensure people who might not have heard about your event will see you.
Look for vacant storefronts in your area and inquire about leasing them for a short time. You could also reach out to galleries and market halls. Alternatively, consider a mobile pop-up in a truck or bus.
The right location depends on who you want to attract.
Another essential part of how to do a pop-up shop is choosing how long your pop-up event will last. Some pop-ups last just one or two days — think of them as a short, sharp burst of marketing that can help generate leads and convert sales. They can be a great way to attract new customers and generate buzz about a brand. The limited length of time creates a sense of scarcity and urgency that can drive more sales.
Other pop-ups last for a few months. These are more useful for retailers looking to test the waters in a specific area before committing to a permanent location for their store.
Decide how long you want your pop-up event to last and consider the cost of renting your retail space. It might be cheaper and more effective to run a shorter event with higher sales figures.
With a location booked and a plan in place, it’s time to start generating hype around your pop-up event. Ramp up your marketing efforts to ensure you’ve got customers coming into your temporary store on the big day.
Reach out to influencers or bloggers to see if they’ll promote your event on their social media channels. This might cost you, but it can be an effective way of spreading the word about your pop-up.
You can also promote the event on your own social channels, using relevant hashtags to increase engagement.
Consider what message you want to send with your marketing efforts. Think carefully about who you’re trying to attract, and ensure you’re aiming each social post or flyer at them.
No matter the type of pop-up you’re doing, you’ll need the right equipment to ensure you can process customer payments and make sales.
A point-of-sale system (often called a POS system) is a payment processor that also tracks metrics and sales data. Working on a Wi-Fi connection, they often include a debit and credit card reader to ensure you can process payments quickly. You might also want to purchase a cash drawer, but many pop-up events only accept cashless payments.
A self-service kiosk can also be an excellent addition to a pop-up. With apps like KioskBuddy, customers can pay for items themselves at easy-to-use self-service tablets. KioskBuddy works with Square POS to provide a simple self-service solution — and the Square Stand Mount includes a built-in card and contactless payment processor.
Self-service kiosks mean your pop-up staff can focus on providing thorough customer service, and check-out lines will be faster and shorter. It leads to an all-round better customer experience, which is crucial for short-term events like pop-ups.
You’ve chosen the perfect location, marketed your event, and organized your stock so you’re ready to sell. It’s time to open the doors for your pop-up event!
Enjoy the day, weeks, or months of your event and see how much attention you can bring to your brand.
From New York to LA, pop-up shops are becoming part of the retail experience for consumers. If you set up a pop-up shop, you could increase your customer base and create hype around your brand, leading to increased conversions on your e-commerce platform or online store.
A self-service kiosk with KioskBuddy is an excellent addition to any pop-up experience. Customers can pay for their items in just a few simple steps, leaving your event staff free to focus on customer engagement and fantastic service. KioskBuddy is quick and easy to set up — just download the app on your tablet and get started.
Download KioskBuddy today, and make your pop-up dreams a reality!