Pop-ups are a great way to get your brand in front of thousands of potential new customers and trial physical retail before committing to a bespoke kiosk or inline shop unit lease. For established retailers, pop-up shops can increase revenue by an average of 35% while also raising brand awareness amongst the public. There are various reasons why consumers are drawn to pop-up shops including wanting to support smaller businesses, the appeal of exclusivity/unique products and to have a personalised shopping experience. We have listed the top 6 points to think about when considering opening a pop-up.
1. Is a pop-up right for my business?
Pop-ups are a flexible way to gain immediate feedback from customers and allow them to see your products up close before purchasing, but it is important to consider if opening a pop-up suits your business expansion plans. Conducting market research to identify the best target audience and location for your pop-up is key. Pop-ups work best when the products on offer have a defined USP to stand out from the crowd and can’t be found in other nearby stores.
Producing a business plan to outline your market research findings and plans for a pop-up is a helpful way to assess how beneficial a pop-up shop could be for your business.
2. Deciding on a location and pop-up type
Finding the right location to launch your pop-up is key for the success of your pop-up shop. If you opt for a shopping centre pop-up, consider factors such as footfall in the venue, neighbouring businesses, and the demographics of shoppers at the venue. It’s useful to research and visit potential locations to assess their suitability for your brand and target market. Visiting at different times of the week will allow you to get a good feel of the venue at busier and quieter times.
3. Permits, insurance and costings
There are a number of considerations before opening a pop-up shop – this includes insurance and permits for your business to trade and the varying costs for different types of pop-up. There are a few types of documentation required to open a physical pop-up including Public Liability Insurance and a Risk Assessment.
Shopping venues expect a high standard of set-up and creating your own kiosk can be expensive. The cost to retail in a shopping centre varies depending on your retail set-up, whether you are using the SpaceandPeople Rock Up and Pop Up service or intend to retail from your own kiosk. There are other factors that influence total costings, including: staffing requirements, Point of Sale system, the popularity of the venue and your desired location within the venue.
4. Branding your pop-up shop
Incorporating your branding into your pop-up design is a great way to complement your merchandised product range and help customers understand your brand ethos. The functionality and overall look of your pop-up shop can significantly impact customer engagement and sales. It is best to choose a suitable colour scheme, added decorations and signage that matches your branding and will look cohesive when displayed together.
5. Staffing a pop-up shop
Traditional retail can be very different for businesses who have primarily retailed online. Catching the attention of potential customers as they walk by and encouraging them to try out your products and learn more is vital to the success of your pop-up. Engaging and knowledgeable staff helps customers feel more connected to your brand and creates a positive brand experience. The interactions and impressions customers have with your staff can significantly influence their purchasing decisions and overall perception of your brand. You can recruit staff through online job boards or through a staffing agency.
6. Promotion
Using social media to promote your new pop-up is key to raising brand awareness and attracting new customers to your business. Pre-promotion and word-of-mouth marketing is useful to let shoppers in your chosen venue know that your pop-up will be launching or has just launched. Consistent social media promotion helps keep your target audience engaged and interested in your brand and allows you to drive traffic to your location.
Many retailers utilise their pop-up to build upon their online business by collecting customer contact information for promotions. This enables them to re-market to their past customers and offer special discounts via email marketing.
One of our Rock Up and Pop Up retailers, Beard Surgeon, consistently uses video content to educate their social media following on their product’s benefits, their brand story and to encourage customers to visit their kiosk. The retailer also includes customers in their social media content which improves their followers’ trust in the brand.
How can Rock Up and Pop Up help?
Whether you’re a newly established retailer, online business or an established brand, embracing the versatility of pop-up retail can lead to exciting opportunities for growth and brand awareness. Our Rock Up and Pop Up solution has helped retailers of all sizes launch pop-ups in some of the UK’s top shopping venues and expand their customer reach. Rock Up and Pop Up offers:
End-to-end service
Our Rock Up and Pop Up retail solution takes the hassle out of launching a pop-up shop with provision of a custom-branded unit, installation, merchandising and business support all being included within the service. It is a cost-effective way to open a pop-up without the high start-up costs associated with having a bespoke kiosk manufactured.
Venue Expertise
We have longstanding relationships with our shopping venues and have a clear understanding of their customer demographics. We can use this knowledge to match your business to the perfect location, ensuring you can reach your target customers. Our Rock Up and Pop Up service is available at a range of premium venues throughout the UK including Westfield London, Metrocentre and Braehead Centre. Our retail team can also advise on potential costings and options to find the solution that best fits your business.
Compliance Paperwork
We can provide advice and recommendations on how to navigate the paperwork required to open a pop-up, ensuring the process is completed smoothly.
Provision of a Custom Branded Unit
Our Rock Up and Pop Up solution includes the provision of a retail unit available in three layout design options, including one specifically for food and beverage retailers, which includes refrigerators. Our design team can work with you to produce a custom vinyl-wrapped design that perfectly matches your brand identity and product range.
Staffing
We can facilitate staffing through one of our partner staffing agencies. These agencies provide highly motivated staff that are ready to learn about your brand and deliver strong sales results while connecting with your customer base.
Social media expertise
We can offer marketing support and guidance to ensure your pop-up stands out on social media.
If you’d like to learn more about launching a pop-up shop with our Rock Up and Pop Up solution, visit our Rock Up and Pop Up page for more information.
