Pop Up shops, regardless of industry, are a great way to grow your business and gain brand awareness. Small businesses and well-known enterprises alike can benefit from hosting a Pop Up. It creates a cost-effective, non-committal opportunity for brands to experiment with new products and concepts. It also allows them to engage with customers in a different setting.
Foundational to a successful Pop Up is the space where a company hosts it. Below are some of the most important questions you should consider when searching for a Pop Up space.
What should I consider when selecting a space for my Pop Up?
First, before you start conjuring up the image of the perfect storefront or event space, we recommend assessing what you want to accomplish. Specifically, consider your budget for initiating a Pop Up and how this activity potentially helps you achieve certain business goals.
Cost
Your budget will influence your decision-making process. Between fixed costs, marketing, operations, and store design, it will determine what and how many options are available within your range. Key items to keep in mind include:
- How long will the Pop Up run
- What is the desired location of your Pop Up space
- What type of Pop Up space would you need
- Do you require a specialized agency to partner with
For example, you may want to hire designers and event planners to assist in conceptualization, set up, and execution to prepare for your opening day. Recruit marketing, influencers, and PR professionals to get the word out and promote your Pop Up. Likewise, depending on your set up, it may be worth investing in additional personnel to help run the show. It is important to determine whether you can afford to rent the space in question and the supplies, people, and maintenance costs required to sustain the Pop Up.
Time
The duration of your Pop Up does not always depend on your budget. Longer does not necessarily equate to better. Sometimes, Pop Ups are purposefully and strategically planned to operate for a shorter time period.
The reason why Pop Ups are so popular and well-received is that their usual selling point is the fact that they are short-lived. It works in the same way limited-time offers do. Something that is low in stock and will cease to be available prompts people to act impulsively. Even if they are unfamiliar with the brand or product, it draws their attention and curiosity into checking out what the fuss is all about.
Purpose
- Are you thinking of showcasing your product or service?
- Or, do you have in mind more of an experiential Pop Up?
- Will there be additional events and activities? If so, will they be ongoing or limited time?
Understanding how your Pop Up shop makes customers feel toward the larger brand is essential. When they talk to their friends and family about your Pop Up, what kind of things do you want them to say?
Why should I choose to work with a Pop Up agency?
We often get asked, “How is a Pop Up agency a better solution than working directly with a landlord or real estate agency?” Landlords and real estate agents prefer working with clients in it for the long haul. On top of that, they may have stringent policies on short-term rentals.
A Pop Up agency specializes in everything Pop Up-related. More likely, landlords and real estate agents have no clue what a Pop Up is. Never mind being an expert on Pop Ups; they may not understand or be willing to fulfill your request.
Hypothetically, let us say that you were able to sign a lease for as little as three days. Will you be able to coordinate and hire all the personnel needed to make the Pop Up a success? Are you familiar with the process from start to end? Can you handle the sourcing and purchasing materials and supplies while focusing on marketing and PR efforts?
Save yourself the headache by delegating the work to a Pop Up Agency. Apart from their expertise and experience in the subject matter. Oftentimes, they have in-house designers, event planners, marketing, and PR support, including existing partnerships and contacts in the area.
Certain agencies, like Parasol Projects, have their own Pop Up spaces for rent. This removes a lot of the restrictions that come with renting out a space, allowing you to exercise complete control over how your Pop Up will look like.
What distinguishes a quality Pop Up Agency?
- Flexibility: Are they able to or willing to meet all of your needs and specifications? If none of their available spaces are to your liking, can they work with you to find an alternative?
- In-house services: Can they take care of multiple services like planning, logistics, marketing, launch, and ongoing operations? Consider whether or not you will have to enlist the help of third-party staff, vendors, or another agency to assist.
- Locality: Where do you want to open up your Pop Up? Preferably, the agency you select is familiar enough with the area to know where the most popular, trendy, and high-traffic locations are.
- Spaces: Some Pop Up agencies do not have their own spaces; instead, they have team members who specialize in scouting out empty commercial lots. In that case, take an inventory of the agency’s existing partnerships. Their ability to quickly arrange and put plans into action is a necessity.
- Pricing: You want to work with an agency that has worked with clients of all budget sizes. Inquire about how flexible their pricing structure is. The second best option is to work with an agency with extensive experience working with small businesses and newly-launched brands. If you are working with a tight budget, then you can rest assured that your Pop Up agency understands how to best fulfill your requirements without sacrificing quality.
- Values: Do they have a record of collaboration and transparency? Search for online reviews on platforms like Google, Facebook, and Trustpilot. No luck there? Reach out to former clients and ask about their experience working with the Pop Up agency.
Videos of Pop Up Spaces
- 173 Elizabeth – The Petite White Box
- 2 Rivington – The Contemporary All-Glass Storefront
- 251 Elizabeth – The Little Favorite