The retail industry was hit pretty hard by the recession and this combined with the rise in online shopping means shops have taken a hit.
Shopping centres are becoming like ghost towns with tumbleweeds rolling around where shoppers should be striding with bulging bags. Many stores are now standing empty as opposed to being stocked with clothes and products.
It has become somewhat of a vicious circle, retailers cannot afford to continue to lease stores if sales are falling, customers will not visit a shopping centre if it has a considerable lack of stores, so finances are not being generated to repair the retail industry.
In a desperate attempt to begin to repair the state of the retail sector, pop up shops are the latest phenomenon to breath life back into retail and the idea of actual shopping rather than using the Internet to purchase the things we want.
Pop up shops are not being used just to reinvigorate shopping centres, they are the perfect way for a brand to conduct market research to understand the consumer and be able to produce products, items and advertising campaigns which appeal to them.
Brands can use pop up shops to promote themselves and generate some much-needed finance into the company through sales.
Marketing experts such as Martin Lindstrom are more than aware of the importance of a brand getting its name out there and pop up shops are one of the best ways to do so. It doesn’t just have to be a new company, it can be a long serving brand that needs to gently remind customers about what it does and what it sells.
An advertising campaign is financially draining and requires a large amount of resource that many companies either don’t have or are reluctant to spend.
Instead, the pop up shop enables the brand to identify its customer base and remind those who may have a connection with it that they still exist and are able to fulfil the needs of those who are interested.
Communication is essential in the modern age. With so many forms of communicative technology, the lines of discussion are opened and should stay that way to form solid relationships. The communication between brand and consumer is essential to the future of the brand and the loyalty, which the customer shows.
The pop up shop will enable a brand to interact directly with customers.
The idea of a pop up shop all began with artists who were keen to sell their creations but couldn’t afford to hold exhibitions or hire out galleries. This was the most successful way their work could be recognised; now the retail industry has latched on to the idea and is using it to repopulate shopping centres and increase the loyalty and identification, which surrounds brands.
The temporary nature of the pop up shop means that customers are left wanting more, they have the opportunity to understand how the brand fulfils their needs and how it can serve them in the future.
Once this understanding has been accepted, customers will go on to seek out the company and explore its purpose, and products, and this will quickly establish not only brand identification but also association and loyalty on behalf of the consumer.
How are people making the most of this idea?
Location is everything. The pop up shop needs to be positioned within heavy public traffic so the chances of it being seen and used are increased. The space needs to include the brand name at every opportunity.
The most important achievements of the pop up shop is for the brand to remind customers it is around, that the consumer can identify them and sales are consequently increased and not just in the short term. The pop up shop needs to have a part to play in securing the longevity of the brand.
