The Trafford Centre, Manchester is one of the busiest shopping centres in the UK with a high-impact pop-up retail space. Whether you are introducing a new product, expanding into physical retail, or looking for a fresh way to connect with customers, we provide an end-to-end solution to make it happen with our Rock Up and Pop Up service.
Why Pop-up Retail
Traditional retail comes with high costs and long-term commitments, making both set up and expansion risky. A pop-up retail space offers a smarter alternative, helping you grow with less risk and more impact.

- Cost-Effective Growth – Setting up a permanent store can cost upwards of £100,000, plus ongoing overheads. A pop-up reduces financial risk while delivering high exposure.
- High-Impact Brand Visibility – Studies show that on average, it takes 5-7 brand interactions for a customer to make a purchase. A retail pop-up store places your brand in a highly visible location, creating multiple touchpoints in a single visit.
- Customer Engagement That Converts – A custom-branded kiosk allows shoppers to see, touch and interact with your products in real time.
- Market Testing with Minimal Risk – Expanding into a new region? A pop-up retail space lets you trial locations before committing to a long-term lease, helping you refine your strategy with real customer insights.
Why Trafford Centre
The Trafford Centre, Manchester offers pop-up retailers access to shoppers from North-West England and beyond who are looking for new and different products. Having a mid-mall kiosk in Trafford Centre offers high visibility and the opportunity to meet shoppers face-to-face.
30M+
Annual Visitors
150+
Retail Stores
40+
F&B Outlets
4.5M
Catchment Population
The North-West Advantage
Census 2021
The North-West of England offers pop-up retailers a fantastic opportunity to connect with new and existing customers. With key cities including Manchester, Liverpool, Lancaster and Salford, pop-up retailers have a range of opportunities available to them.
7.5M
Residents
£220B
Regional GDP
£33,036
Avg. Salary
So How Does it Work?
Our Rock Up and Pop Up retail solution offers a flexible way for retailers to open a pop-up shop for the first time, expand into new venues or sell their products at a specific time of year. We work with retailers from initial idea through to reality, with brands able to pick and choose the elements of the service most suitable for them.
Why SpaceandPeople
Bringing pop-ups to prime spaces
On average, SpaceandPeople book space for over 290 pop-up retailers monthly
A pop-up for every business
From home bakers to global brands, there’s a pop-up retail solution to match your needs
Exclusive rights to premium venues in the UK
Tap into 370+ venues with a weekly footfall of 63.5M across the UK and Germany.
Testimonials
“Our Metrocentre and Trafford Centre pop-ups have been beneficial for us in terms of visibility in the centres and in enabling us to further push our brand values and highlight why shoppers should engage with us. Opening our pop-up shops has been a really seamless process thanks to the Rock Up and Pop Up team and their guidance throughout the planning, designing and go live stages. The campaign has been a great success for our brand, and we recommend it to others looking for a stress-free way to launch a pop-up.”
LUSH at The Trafford Centre and Metrocentre
“Entering the physical retail market has been a breeze using the Rock Up and Pop Up service. The SpaceandPeople team has helped us throughout the set-up journey, working with us on graphics, merchandising and offering a staffing solution. The kiosk has given us the opportunity to interact and offer samples to customers, and gain valuable in-the-moment feedback, which our online business doesn’t do. We’re pleased with our results so far and are looking forward to expanding across the UK in the coming months.”
Just Bee at The Trafford Centre
We Work With A Range of Pop-Up Retailers, Including:
Start-Up Businesses, Established Brands & Online Retailers
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Send Your Pop-Up Retail Booking Enquiry For The Trafford Centre Today And One Of Our Retail Experts Will Be In Touch Soon!
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is the process for pop-up retail?
Pop-up retailing is a contemporary and low risk way of trading in high footfall areas such as shopping centres.
- Our Rock Up and Pop-Up kiosk service is a stylish, flexible and customisable end-to-end retailing solution – we can assist with a branded kiosk, retail space, merchandising, business planning and staffing.
- If you already have a kiosk or are looking to build one, we offer a range of mall space sizes and locations. We encourage you to speak to us before you start the kiosk design so we can advise on the venue’s design criteria.
- If you are looking for a larger space, it is also possible to open up a pop-up shop in an inline unit. Please contact us for current opportunities.
We will liaise with you and the venue and provide support in obtaining the relevant documentation in order to start trading. Use the booking form above to book pop-up retail space at The Trafford Centre.
- Who can be a retailer?
Our pop-up retail service is tailored to our individual clients, which includes start-up businesses, established brands and online retailers. We also offer inline retailers the opportunity to expand their customer base. We do this by directing shoppers to their inline store, promoting seasonal product lines and/or attracting a different demographic than usual.
- Are there benefits to using a Rock Up and Pop Up Kiosk?
Our integrated kiosk service will allow you to trial physical retail for the first time, test new products and services in a low risk environment or trial new venues before committing to a longer lease. The flexibility of our short-term leases can give you the confidence you need to get started with kiosk retailing! Our pop-up retail offerings allow you to meet face to face with prospective customers, which is particularly useful if you are an online business. Kiosks can help to increase brand awareness as well as drive consumer engagement. To use one of our kiosks, please contact us to book pop-up retail space at The Trafford Centre.
- What insurances and documentation do we require?
Generally £10m public liability insurance is required. If you currently have £5m, you can usually request a top up of your existing insurance (depending on your insurance provider). We require the following documents:
- Risk Assessment
- Method Statement
- Proof of Insurance
- Photographic ID
- Proof of Address
- Rights to Work in the UK Evidence
- PAT tests or receipts of any electrical items that are to be plugged in (A receipt is required if the item is less than 1 year old, otherwise it needs a valid PAT test which can be obtained from an electrician)
The average cost of PLI is £157 a year.
- Are there any additional costs / business rates?
Power usage is generally included in the rent, however excessive requirements may result in an additional charge. Should the access to water and drainage be required an additional charge is likely, you can discuss this with an Account Manager. You may be liable for business rates depending on the rateable value of your space and the size of your business.
- How much will it cost?
The cost to retail in a shopping centre varies depending on the retail set-up, product line you are selling, and the mall space chosen. The cost varies if you are renting an RMU, mall kiosk or using one of your own kiosks. One of our team will be able to advise on pricing when they know more about your business and requirements.
- Do you have any resources for first time retailers to understand the market?
Do you have any resources for first time retailers to understand the market?
Here are some links you might find useful:
About Us
Why Us
We place aspiring brands and businesses in high footfall venues for promotions, brand activations, sampling, and retail
SpaceandPeople can place pop-up retail at The Trafford Centre, Manchester and many other high footfall centres in North-West England as well as the rest of the the UK and Germany.