I think
the words ‘pop up shop’ have been a little overused recently. It seems this label
gets tagged onto any temporary retail offer whether it is an innovatively
designed market stall or a brand concession within a big store or shopping mall.
Labelling aside, I’m a massive supporter of pop up retail, it has many benefits
for bringing new ideas to the high street and is a great way for new business to
test whether or not a bricks and mortar shop is right for them.
By definition
you could say a market stall is a pop up shop, here one day and gone the next, but I think a pop up shop is a whole lot more.
Whatever you think a pop up shop is, in today’s retail landscape I see it
as a retail offer that temporarily resides in a physical building, preferably
within a high street.
Unfortunately,
I’ve seen many pop up shops pop up and then quickly pop off again. As with mainstream retail to succeed pop shops
need to fill a gap in the marketplace. The retail offer needs to be exciting
with lots of product choice, the customer service needs to exemplary and above
all else the shop needs a strong visual identity.
I think
the reason many pop up shops fizzle out before they’ve had chance to make their
mark is mainly down to poor preparation and under delivering in many of the
areas that contribute to a successful retail operation. The best ‘pop up’
retailers are innovators, they know who their customers are and they know how
to inspire them. They have a clear vision of what they want to achieve and how
they are going to deliver this, everything
from visual merchandising, to product edit and stock control, to customer service, to marketing,
is delivered to a high standard which sets them apart from other more permanent
retailers. There are many good examples of pop up shops on our
high streets but one of the best is, ‘We Built This City, on Carnaby Street in
London, go check it out and you’ll see what I mean.
We can
learn a lot from pop shops, especially when it comes to innovation and clever use of space.
See what you think of the five pop up shops I’ve included below....
This is the benchmark for what I would call a great pop up shop. A bricks
and mortar shop with a strong brand identity, great product edit, beautifully
merchandised and delivering a first class customer shopping experience
Lisbon Lovers
Great
piece of design demonstrated in this mobile unit but, is this a pop up shop or a
posh market stand?
Brothers
This is
a truly well thought out retail concept and shows just what can be crammed into
a tiny space without it looking overcrowded or messy. Great style, befitting to their marketplace.
Monocle
It’s in
the box! There have been many variations on this theme over the last few
years. Well designed and innovative small
lock up box units in various shapes, sizes and finishes offering just about
everything you would find in a traditional bricks and mortar shop.
Kate Spade
This great
concept from Kate Spade harks back to an earlier era when the shop was
delivered to you. Every centimetre of this vehicle has been thought out to
deliver this visually exciting shopping experience.
All the best
Peter
#visualcommunicator
#retailconsultant #designer
tel 07907 691711
email info@artysmith2.com
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