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We here at Crowd Culture are a little pumped. The reason being, we’ve been working on several innovative projects whilst in lockdown and now it’s time to bring our ideas to the wider community!
So what we want to do here is talk about one of our favourite subjects, which just happens to be pop up shops; we want to share some of our experiences, the do’s and don’ts of pop up shops, where to do them, how long for, who they’re for – we’re basically going to answer all the questions that we’re constantly asked!
Today we will talk about the reasons why you would want to have a pop-up shop. The reason being, there are some traditional problems retailers and businesses have that they’re trying to solve through traditional sales. Problems that we believe could be easily resolved through running a pop-up shop. Let us explain …
8 reasons why you should create a pop-up shop
Everyone loves a list and we are no exception. Here are eight common (and a couple not so common) reasons why a pop-up shop might suit your business.
- An instant cash injection
- Move old stock
- Brand activation
- Go where your prospects are
- Test a new location for a potential permanent move
- Create hype and cool
- Put a face to your business
- Your customers can touch the merchandise
OK, let us break down each of those reasons a little further.
An instant cash injection
A sale is a surefire way to get cash into your business. We have seen business run sales where they have finished the day with a $50k profit in the cash register. Insane!
When customers see your merchandise in a no-frills, everythings-on-sale environment surrounded by eager shoppers looking for a bargain, you can guarantee they’re happy to hand over their hard earned money. It’s only on sale for two days, they think!
Move old stock
Selling last year’s lines is a go-to for pop up shop success. Free from the inflated costs associated with new season stock, shoppers would snap up excess stock knowing they were getting an amazing deal.
Not everyone needs to be seen in the latest snow gear or shoes or whatever. A huge percentage of shoppers just want something nice that does the job and saves them money.
Brand activation
Brand activation is the Hollywood of marketing! Finding incredible ways to give your customers an “experience” is such an exciting space to play in. Now, we are not suggesting we have to go out and build a climbing wall in Federation Square, but coming up with a cool way for your prospects to experience your brand is super exciting.
Go where your prospects are
Remember the four Ps of marketing? The right PRODUCT to the right PEOPLE in the right PLACE at the right PRICE with the right PROMOTION. This is all about getting to the right place.
(OK, we know that’s not the classic interpretation of the 4 Ps and we’ve added a fifth, but it’s ours!)
That’s why temporary kiosks in malls work so well. Got some stock to move? Made a big purchase on Alibaba? Get into a kiosk in a popular shopping mall, merchandise it well, and watch the sales fly out the door.
Test a new location for a potential permanent move
So this is a really smart way to work out where to open your next store or open a store at all! Pop-ups are perfect for those product based side-hustlers who are tempted to open bricks and mortar stores in high traffic retail environments but are shy about the huge financial costs that are required in the beginning.
All you have to do, is find an empty space in the suburb or street you’re interested in, negotiate a short term lease (we’re talking a week or two), get your merchandise in and get to know your market.
Is there as much foot traffic as expected? What’s the demographic of customers? What does it FEEL like? Is your brand of interest in that location? Much better to outlay a little on rent and set-up and wages, than make a full commitment and suffer larger potential losses.
Create hype and cool
We’re going out on a limb here, but we reckon we could make any brand cool in a pop-up shop. Yes, even if you sell cardigans or calculators. Pop up shops can have a big impact on the way people see your brand.
Why? Because of the way you present your shop and the way you service your customers.
We have seen businesses use all sorts of in-store tricks to bring the cool to a shop: handing out beers to the bedraggled men following after their daughters and partners; offering discounts to anyone who beat the owner in a game of table tennis – there’s so much freedom available to you and your brand when you’re not in your familiar, restrictive surroundings.
Put a face to your business
These last two are specifically for online retailers with no permanent bricks and mortar stores. Being online only saves you a bunch of money in salaries, rent, and stock on-hand costs. What it doesn’t do is give you the up-close-and-personal opportunities that come with having personal service.
Open a pop-up shop and you can be front and center with your customers – listening to them, “living” your brand, nurturing customers for life.
Your customers can touch the merchandise
This was always the fear for online-only retailers in the early days of selling online: who’s going to buy stuff they can’t pick up and touch? Turns out, we’re happy to – brands such as Adidas have nailed online selling, with 30-day returns, free delivery, and high-quality close-up video of the shoes.
Still, there’s truth in the maxim that once a customer picks up your merchandise, they’re a step closer to purchase. So if you’re online only, or have a hard-to-reach physical location, letting people touch your wares is super important – especially something as personal as clothes and shoes and as subjective as hi-fi equipment and so on.
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There you have it: 8 reasons for setting up a pop-up shop that you might not have considered. We were talking the other day to a guy who roasts coffee for sale online. When we were chatting about this topic, you could see the penny drop for him: “Wait, I could do a pop-up shop with my coffee roasting business. I thought I only had farmers markets as an option.”
Any space, any business, any reason, anytime – start thinking about pop up shops to energise your business and your brand.
What’s more, if you already have an idea in mind, Crowd Culture has a great range of retail kits that you can use to create your pop-up shop with ease!
