‘Pop up Shops’ are a great way to increase sales and try out new products

With vacant shop units to be found in virtually every town and city nationwide, the time has never been better for companies wanting to try out a retail concept, discover what people think of a new product or service and generally create some buzz around a business.

And it is not just on the high street that such opportunities exist. What about stalls at Sunday markets, busy car boot sales, charity events? Putting up a gazebo with some tables provides a quick selling space, as does a hiring a slightly more permanent shipping container. Then there are the seasonal pop-ups – Christmas is an obvious option, but equal potential can exist during the holiday season in coastal or tourist destinations, at Easter, or simply during special highly publicised events where large numbers of people are likely to congregate such as the Platinum Royal Jubilee. Seasonal pop ups can provide very high sales, in some cases up to a third of a company’s annual revenue.

Not to be forgotten are the pop up shops at festivals ranging from Latitude to the Great Dorset Steam Festival. Many festivals frequently have waiting lists of traders wanting to pitch a pop up shop. It is not unknown for festival traders to turn over tens of thousands of pounds during an event.

The sales potential offered by pop up shops has not gone unrecognised. In Wales, Carmarthenshire Council organised short term pop up shops in Carmarthen and a nearby Country Park designed to encourage small local businesses to display and sell their goods. Other local authorities have organised similar stores in Essex, Cardiff and at a variety of regional locations and events. Even retailers like Partridges in London have operated a facility for pop up shops adjacent to their Duke of York square store in London. These fine food street markets were regarded as a way of encouraging small producers to connect with the public, developing brands and sales.

It can be a very successful sales method. Creating a customer experience to try out a new type of cold brewed spirit infused tea was regarded as the ideal way for NOVELTEA to promote its product and explain its concept. Sampling and trialling unusual drinks such as Earl Grey tea infused with gin, or Moroccan green mint and rum proved to be the best way of explaining to potential customers what it entailed. As a result, NOVELTEA utilised eye-catching props such as displaying its products on tea chests or collaborating with complimentary brands to further develop that interactive experience.

Create a buzz at your pop up shop

Potential sales, developing long term demand and creating a buzz – pop up shops are undoubtedly a very successful method of trading. All that matters is to make sure that you have enough product available to sustain interest throughout the period of the pop up shop, as well as the relevant staff available. It is not just a need for retail staff, but also sampling staff, demonstrators, data capture staff and even promotional personnel donning costumes or holding a quick crowd event with singers and dancers to give a buzz.