Whether you’re a newbie or a veteran to pop up shops, you’ve come to the right place. Here are some tried-and-true pop up shop ideas designed to be authentic to you and your brand.
Tip #1: Brand Yourself
If you already have an established brand, you’re halfway there. Building the theme of your pop up from your established brand is essential — on your social channels, in your selection of products, and everywhere else. Not sure where to start? Theme your pop up shop on the season at hand. Major fashion lines commonly echo the seasons in their visual identities, and it’s just as effective for pop up shops.
Tip #2: Think Outside The Box
Once you nail down your theme, start thinking outside the box without getting carried away. How can you communicate summer, fall, winter, or spring without coming across as garish or kitschy? You don’t have to overdo it with flowers, pastels, and Easter bunnies — strip the idea of spring to its essence. Bright, verdant color schemes and tasteful indoor foliage can do the trick. Keep your presentation fresh while honoring your original idea.
Tip #3: Do What You Do Best
Whether you love bold, large-scale displays or tasteful negative space, use what you have to your advantage. “Bold” doesn’t have to mean cluttered, and “minimalist” doesn’t have to mean near-empty. Dolce & Gabbana’s regal, ornate window displays are practically works of art on their own; meanwhile one of our favorite trunk-show brands, Stoffa, placed their simple double-slashed white logo across the front window of their pop up — clean while still eye-catching, drawing in new clients who wanted to know more. Whether your style leans minimalist or maximalist, always cultivate a sense of curiosity about your brand.
Tip #4: Tell People Who You Are
You want new clientele to remember the experience you’ve cultivated, not forget it as soon as they walk away. Aim to leave an impression that makes someone follow you on Instagram, seek out your website, return to your location, and tell their friends. Name yourself, make your social handles prominent, provide business cards, and engage with customers about your brand. That’s how you turn a pedestrian into a follower — and a dedicated customer.
Tip #5: Display Your Products Well
Always organize your products by group: color, silhouette, price, theme, style — anything relevant. Develop your own system based on what you’re selling and which items deserve the most attention. More than anything, create an alternate reality people will want to exist in: make your pop up shop aesthetically beautiful so the customer wants to bring a piece of it home.
Putting It All Together
While putting these ideas into practice, don’t forget the big picture: your pop up needs to look great as a whole. Take a step back and enter the space with fresh eyes, as any customer would. The details are important, but the overall look is what draws your customer in. And if you want a partner for buildouts, merchandising, furniture rental and more — that’s exactly what Parasol Projects does.