The Pop-Up Shop Phenomenon

The luxury of online shopping is something that I've learned to love and now rely on for finding unique, trendy clothes at reasonable prices. However, nothing will ever replace the experience of going shopping with friends and bonding over the amazing new shoes you all bought together. Shopping the old-fashion way creates an experience and a memory that is now associated with a brand. That experience isn’t as easily created online.

Pop-up shops are a great way for brands to give their online customers the physical shopping experience without the brand having to spend all their resources on opening a full-time retail location. A pop-up shop is when a company creates a retail space that is open to the public for anywhere from a few days to several months. It allows the company the opportunity to humanize itself and to connect with people in a way that they can’t online.

As much fun as pop-ups are for customers to get to interact with their favorite brands in person, it is even more beneficial for the company holding the event. Through these events, brands are able to get instant and often more honest feedback from shoppers that they would online. Sales associates are able to ask customers their opinions about colors, styles, and fit in a natural way that doesn’t seem annoying like an online survey would.

This also allows brands to directly answer customers questions and address issues that may have been holding them back from buying products online. It also lets customers experience the clothing by trying it on, checking for fit, and seeing how it looks on their body, which is something that has held me back from buying online before!

The most exciting part of pop-up events is the hype that is built up around them and the incredible displays and environments brands create for them. They pull people in and encourage them to share their experience on social media. Of course, there’s always a perfect backdrop for Instagram photos!

People posting about the event and the fact that it’s only around for a short time helps to create a sense of urgency around the brand. A sense of urgency makes pop-ups the perfect place for brands to launch new products and revamp their image. Once people see others in their area posting about it, they feel like they need to go and check it out just to be relevant and stay on top of the trends in their town.

Pop-up shops are great for the brand, help malls fill emptying storefronts, and are a fun experience for shoppers, so I don’t see this trend going away anytime soon!

Image by eddie howell on Unsplash.