In the digital age, focusing solely on online sales is tempting, especially if you have already invested time and money into your Shopify store. However, you should also consider other means to create deeper connections with your customers instead of remaining a digital brand they only see online. As such, a pop-up shop for your Shopify store could be a great idea.
Fostering in-person interactions with your customers is a powerful strategy to put a face to your brand. It allows potential customers to feel your products and experience customer service in person. But more than that, it can help you establish a strong connection with your potential and existing customers to nurture a long-lasting relationship.
In this article, we will explore the idea of launching a pop-up shop for your Shopify store. We’ll teach you how to launch your first-ever pop-up retail store and we’ll provide you with some useful tips and insights to make this micro venture a resounding success in the long term.
What Is A Pop-Up Shop?
Source: Pexels
A pop-up shop (or a pop-up store), is a small retail space that opens for a short period, ranging from a few days to several months. These shops are often used by brands to attract media attention and test new products while limiting their expenses and without committing to a long-term lease.
Pop-up shops can appear in various locations, including vacant storefronts, school campuses, shopping malls, and they can even be organized in large events. Although any type of business could establish a pop-up store, this concept is particularly popular in the fashion, food, and tech industries.
Types Of Pop-Up Shops
There are several types of pop-ups:
Permanent
A permanent pop-up shop initially opens temporarily. However, it becomes a long-term fixture because of the positive results, consistent customer interest, and sustained success.
Marketing event
A pop-up shop in a marketing event aims to boost traffic and brand awareness through limited-time, and usually, organized events. This presents an opportunity for new product launches and special promotions directly towards your target customers.
Seasonal
A seasonal pop-up shop is one that usually opens up during a specific time of the year, such as the holiday season, Halloween, St. Patrick’s day, or any time where the niche is relevant. This is effective as it gives an opportunity to capitalize on increased consumer demand for particular products.
Experimental
An experimental pop-up store is used to test new products, designs, or concepts. The aim of this kind of pop-up is not focused on profits but rather to gain valuable consumer feedback and data for future improvements.
Pop-in stores
Pop-in stores are smaller pop-up shops that are designed to integrate into an existing shop’s current layout. This offers a curated selection of products usually complementing that of the existing store.
How Much Does It Cost To Establish A Pop-Up Shop?
The cost of establishing a pop-up shop in the United States depends on a variety of different factors such as location, season, event organizer, and more.
But generally, here is a breakdown of all the expenses related to establishing a pop-up store.
Source: FinModelsLab
As you can see, a pop-up shop for your Shopify brand could require a significant financial investment. And that’s why you should have a concrete plan for your pop-up launch.
Is A Pop-Up Retail Store A Good Idea?
Pop-up shops have a significant impact on both small and large businesses.
According to IBISWorld, pop-up shops are becoming increasingly popular among businesses trying to expand brand awareness, test new markets and products, and develop consumer relationships.
For small businesses or startups, they provide a low-cost opportunity to gain exposure and engage with their target customers. For larger brands, pop-ups can be a strategic tool to launch new products and gauge customers’ reception of their ideas.
Compared to shopping in an online store, pop-ups have a unique charm to them that customers actually crave.
Source: Statista
According to Statista research, the top reason why US customers shop in pop-up stores is to gain Unique/exclusive products or experiences. The other reasons are also very interesting as they affirm the effectiveness of pop-up shops in attracting new customers.
Some other reasons that stood out for us in this research are:
- More personalized shopping experience.
- Engage with brands/products for the first time.
- Immersive brand/product experience.
This only means that there is an actual need for online stores like yours to get out in the open and to meet your customers face to face to build a memorable brand experience.
How To Do A Pop-Up Shop?
Establishing a pop-up stall for your online brand requires some meticulous planning weeks or even months before the actual event. As such, you need to know the proper steps in order to ensure a smooth operation. Here are the steps on how to do a pop-up shop.
01. Find An Event Space
Source: The Look Company
As with any business that requires a physical store, location is the key. Thus, you need to find an ideal location for your pop-up shop space. However, you cannot just establish a pop-up store in any place as these are, most of the time, regulated by local governments to ensure the safety of both merchants and potential customers.
As such, your best recourse is to find organized pop-up shop venues. Luckily, these are easy to find. You can contact your local real estate agent in your area to know if there are some vacant spaces where launching a pop-up stall is legal.
Another way to ensure the success of your pop up store is by aligning its location according to what your goals are. For example, if you want to further boost sales in a location where your online store is already getting traction, or if you want to establish a customer base to where your online store seems to have difficulties in acquiring customers.
Luckily, Shopify has some advanced analytics that allows merchants to track their sales based on customer location. You can see this in your Customers by location under Reports.
And when you know which location to put up a pop-up store in, you can use these websites to find lease spaces.
- wearepopup.com
- appearhere.co.uk
- bulletin.co
- popupshops.co
- thestorefront.com
Moreover, you can join social media groups in your local community because they usually announce upcoming events, including bazaars.
02. Finalize Your Pop-Up Location
Source: HubSpot
A simple search for space rentals via Pop Up Shops in the LA area shows that pop up spaces could range from 500 to 1500 per day or more. Thus, running a pop-up stall is not cheap, and the expenses could easily pile up as days go by.
Therefore, you need to ensure that your target audience passes by your pop-up shop space and that there is enough foot traffic to meet your goals – be it sales, brand awareness, social media attention, and so.
This is also the reason why you should allow yourself ample time in planning your pop-up event so you can plan accordingly, coordinate your designs, and prepare the materials that you need. More importantly, you can properly research for the best-fit pop-up location for your Shopify store.
03. Design Your Pop-Up Store
Source: Windowswear
In the above-mentioned Statista research, the aesthetics of a pop-up stall is one of the important factors that attract onlookers. As such, it is important to have a pop-up store concept that could visually capture your target audience.
A compelling pop-up shop idea should involve defining your brand’s theme and objectives. As such, take cues from your online store and visualize what the ideal experience would be if your online store were a physical one.
Choose a cohesive color scheme and signage that not only catches the eyes but also reinforces your brand identity.
Another aspect of designing a pop-up shop is the planning of customer movement. Plan the customer flow to ensure a seamless experience, incorporating dedicated areas for product displays (brochures, catalogs), demos (actual products), and checkouts.
As for checkout, we recommend using the Shopify POS so you can synchronize your pop up sales to all your inventories in your online store. This will prevent you from having inventory and sales discrepancies at the end of your accounting period.
There are several types of Shopify POS. But for pop up stores, the Shopify POS Go is the most convenient to use.
Don’t forget to add an IG-worthy nook so customers will feel proud to share their experiences on their social channels.
Quick read: Shopify Equipment: List of POS Hardware and Equipment for Business
04. Secure The Necessary Permits
Source: Pexels
Inquire with the local government to make sure that you comply with all the legal requirements. Ask them about the following:
- Permits
- Licenses
- Insurance
You might have an easier time doing these things if you find a pop-up space through a realtor as they can guide you through all these processes.
Early planning and adherence to local regulations will facilitate a smooth launch of your pop-up shop.
Tips To Make Your Pop-Up Shop A Success
Now that you know the process of establishing a pop-up store, we want to give you some final tips to increase your chances of success in this venture.
Remember that this pop-up experience will impact the long-term sustainability of your online store if you do it right. So feel free to bookmark this page or take note of these tips for future reference.
01. Invite Special Guests
Attract a crowd by inviting local celebrities, industry experts, or influencers to your pop-up shop. Their presence could potentially generate interest and excitement and draw in more visitors to your store. Remember to utilize your social media to announce the presence of special guests
02. Consider Hiring Some Models
Models play a huge part in the appeal of a store as they can help showcase your products effectively and engage with your potential customers. They add a professional touch and can assist in drawing attention to your pop-up shop.
03. Make A Social Media Buzz Before The Event
Utilize your social media channels to announce your upcoming event to build anticipation from your potential customers. You can also create a dedicated landing page for your upcoming event paired with a countdown timer to create that real sense of urgency.
PageFly has more than 100 templates that you can use to create landing pages. You can choose one from these templates, add them to your store and customize them according to your liking.
Or you can simply create an events page on your website and upload announcements of your upcoming events just like the one below.
Furthermore, you could leverage email marketing and SMS to announce to your potential customers that you’re launching your pop up store.
And to increase the buzz around your brand, collaborate with influencers to reach a wider audience. Additionally, utilize word-of-mouth marketing by encouraging your existing customers to share their excitement and spread the word.
04. Offer Exclusive Deals
Exclusive deals make your pop-up store more compelling and this could attract more foot traffic. Providing special deals such as discounts, gift certs, etc. could encourage purchases.
Seize the opportunity to create more user-generated content in exchange for coupons or other forms of rewards.
05. Give Product Demos
Pop-ups are a great venue to give product demos. One barrier that prevents potential customers from buying from your store is that they have no idea of how your products look and feel in person. As such, seize this opportunity to give them that experience.
Demonstrating how your products work can help potential customers understand their benefits and features, making them more likely to make a purchase. Hands-on experiences can also enhance customer engagement.
06. Make Some Noise (If Allowed)
Noise piques interest. As such, consider doing these in your pop-up store:
- Play upbeat music to create a vibrant atmosphere.
- Use attention-grabbing signage to draw people in.
- Create an immersive environment to make your brand memorable.
07. Acquire Customer Information
Your pop-up stall is a great opportunity to acquire customer information so you can include them in your future marketing efforts. Gather phone numbers and emails so you can send future promotions and keep in touch with them throughout the buyer’s journey.
Of course, you must reward them for giving their information. Make sure to keep their data safe and private.
Collect customer information for follow-up marketing efforts. Gather phone numbers and emails to keep in touch with visitors, send updates about future events, and offer exclusive promotions.
08. Host Weekly Themed Events
If you’re planning to run your pop-up store for a few months, you need to devise a plan to keep people interested in your store. One way to do this is by hosting weekly themed events that are centered on your brand.
These events don’t have to be grand to be interesting but they need to resonate with your target audience. Make it a goal to encourage customers to be your advocates during this time. User-generated content is more convincing than company-generated advertisements.
Conclusion
Pop-up shops offer a unique opportunity to bring your digital Shopify store to life, creating tangible experiences that make a mark on your customers’ memories.
Despite being temporary, these retail spaces offer lasting benefits by allowing you to build a stronger brand persona and meaningful customer relationships.
By hosting a pop-up store, you not only boost short-term sales but also enhance your brand's long-term success. This approach helps in establishing a stronger brand persona and meaningful customer relationships that are difficult to attain via online means.
At the end of the day, nothing beats meeting eye to eye. And that’s why a pop-up store should be in your list of marketing strategies.
Read more: 10 Best Omnichannel Retail Strategies with Examples
