7 Ways To Make Your Pop-Up Shop a Success

There’s never been a better time to invest in a pop-up shop. Retail is harder than ever, especially since online shopping is becoming so popular and eating into a large chunk of the marketplace. It is imperative to find new ways to attract customers to your outlet, so why not open a pop-up shop and bring your store to where your customers are? 

Having a pop-up shop is a great way to try out new sales techniques and products, test out a possible new location, or increase seasonal sales. Whatever your reason is, you want to make sure that your pop-up shop is a success and that you achieve what you set out to do. Here are some things you can do to help.

Have A Clear Goal In Mind

It’s vital that you have a clear understanding of your goals for your pop-up shop. Whether you are looking to clear out excess inventory, try out a new product, or see if a location will work for you, you will approach the endeavor in a certain way. No matter what your aim is, you can then set a target that you can measure throughout the life of your pop-up shop. Make sure that your benchmarks are clearly defined and that your entire staff knows what they are. That way they will help you promote it effectively and collect the right data. If you are investing in a pop-up shop, then you must make sure that you get out of it what you intended. 

Location, Location, Location

It doesn’t matter if you are in a large, metropolitan city or a small rural area. You can make your pop-up shop a success, but you need to find the right location. Don’t just settle for the first empty spot you find. Make a list of everything you need for your location. Do you want a lot of foot traffic? Do you need a big parking lot? Whatever you need, find a spot that meets most or all of the items on your list. It’s often a good idea to make a customer profile to get a better idea of where they might live, and set up your pop-up shop there. Having the wrong location could defeat the entire purpose of your pop-up shop if it fails to attract enough customers. 

Attractive Design

Your pop-up shop should incorporate your brand logo and colors, and be attractive to the customers you want to bring in. Even though it’s a small temporary space, you should try to create an experience for your customers. There are several things you can do, and the limit only goes as far as your imagination. Are you selling shoes? Maybe your shop could look like a shoebox, for example. You can also take advantage of portable specialty display boxes and cases to highlight your products which also allows for easy transport, set up, and take down.

Bring The Right Staff

A pop-up shop is not like a regular retail store. While yes, you want to get people to drop into your permanent home, many of your customers will purposefully go there. However, with a pop-up shop, you are trying to bring in people who do not expect you to be in that location and may not even be familiar with your brand. You need staff that are willing to be engaging with potential customers and draw them in with their attitude and enthusiasm. Not everyone has these types of sales skills, so choose wisely. If you don’t think that any of your current staff are able to do this, then you can consider hiring outside people to help. 

Good Timing

Make sure that your pop-up shop is well-timed. For example, if your town tends to empty out every long weekend, then pick another weekend. You may also want to time your promotion based on the time of year. Many pop-up shops find great success opening up around the holidays. If you have a summer product, then your pop-up shop might work best in the spring, or during the middle of summer when interest might be high. There are many factors that will play a part in deciding the right timing for your shop. The key is to find a time that will maximize interest and attendance from your target audience. 

Bells and Whistles

Your products might be amazing, and your marketing could be second-to-none. However, you still need to attract foot traffic that may not know about your brand and may not have been exposed to your marketing. That’s why you need little extras to help draw people in. This can include on-site live music, video boards, refreshments, a photo booth or contests of some kind. The more people stop by your pop-up shop, even if it’s to experience one or more of your extras, the more people will become familiar with your brand. Think of your pop-up shop as party central for the area you locate it. Get people excited, and get them looking at your products. 

Check Your Permits

Before you do all of this, make sure that you have all of your paperwork in place. That means checking with the landlord to see what you can and cannot do. It also means getting any permits you might need. The last thing you want is to be closed down on the first day by the fire department or the health authorities because you didn’t apply with them first. As long as everything is in order and you have met all of your commitments, you will be free to operate your shop as you wish. 

No matter what, the key is to make a connection with your customers and your prospects that come through the doors. Make sure that you answer their questions and provide information, and show how your product will be valuable to them. Bringing in visitors to your pop-up shop with the tips above, and working to connect with your customers will truly help to make your pop-up shop a success. 

Contributed by Ray Ko is the Senior Ecommerce Manager at ShopPOPDisplays. With years of experience in the retail space, Ray is an expert in formulating and implementing e-commerce strategies to increase revenue.