Over the last few years, we have seen a significant increase in the number of brands running pop up stores and limited timeframe experiences. Whereas in the past brands resided from traditional retail stores and offices, today they’re literally popping up all over the place in everything from upcycled shipping containers to impactful exhibition units.
One of the reasons pop up stores have become so popular is that they are great for generating a buzz and excitement around a new product or re-energising an established brand. Whilst some stores set up for a few months, others simply operate from their pop up location for a few days. Unlike traditional venues, pop up shops created in upcycled shipping containers and other mobile event structures offer increased flexibility and are accessible to brands that may not otherwise have the means to run a brick and mortar store.
Whilst pop up stores provide a number of significant benefits, their growing popularity has meant that brands have to work extra hard to make their pop up experience stand out from the rest. They need to find a way to engage with customers and encourage them to take a moment out of their day to experience what they have to offer and for this, the right venue is key.
Below we’ve shared a few of our favourite pop up models for you to use as inspiration…
Puma City
In honour of the World Cup, Puma set up its very own Puma City in lower Manhattan using an upcycled shipping container installation. Along with the two shipping containers, which they turned into pop up stores selling their football clothing and boots, they also created a mini football pitch for people to participate in pick up games on their lunch breaks.
The creation of the football pitch was great for capturing people’s attention and drawing them into the pop up stores. They also used the set up to promote the Ping-Pong tournaments and DJ nights they were hosting at the nearby Puma Social Club. Their integrated brand and shopping experience is a great example of the possibilities a pop up installation holds.
Ikea Metro
One of our favourite pop up ideas to date came from Swedish furniture chain, Ikea. The flat packed furniture retailer wanted to show customers that even the smallest of spaces could be beautifully and practically styled, so they re-created some of their traditional in-store room settings in a not-so-traditional location – the Paris underground. To make their pop up experience even more exciting, they had five people live in the 581 square feet underground apartment for five days!
The interactive pop up experience generated plenty of press coverage and proved to be far more valuable than your average underground billboard advertisement.
UNIQLO
As a way of introducing New Yorkers to overseas brand UNIQLO, Neverstop ran and managed a pop up store for eleven weeks from upcycled shipping containers. The concept was simple yet clever. Inspired by UNIQLO’s tagline ‘From Tokyo to New York’ the company converted two shipping containers into practical and stylish stores and installed them strategically throughout Manhattan as a way of representing the company’s literal arrival in New York.
Working with logistics company LOT-EK, Neverstop were able to move the pop up stores to different areas, giving more and more New Yorkers the chance to experience the brand for themselves.
The pop up promotion generated a lot of buzz and awareness for the brand and they even gained multiple page exposure in Business Week!
Other great examples of pop up stores…
Box Park – London’s first pop-up shopping centre made completely from upcycled shipping containers. Populated by a diverse group of both local and large-scale retailers, as well as coffee and food shops, the urban-style mall was a huge hit with Shoreditch locals and Londoners afar. The idea was that Box Park offered low-risk retailing to brands that didn’t have the financial means to open traditional brick and mortar stores.
Evian Alpine Experience – Using an upcycled shipping container on the Southbank, Evian offered its customers a taste of what it’s like to live in the mountains. The container was transformed into a ski lodge with a log fire, alpine scents and molecular food and drink from Rare Foods. The bottled water brand ran a competition on Facebook that it’s fans could enter to win a chance to sample the Alpine lifestyle and they also set up a poll on which Alpine surprises the visitors would be met with, which included husky puppies and Lederhosen performers.
The thing that really stood out about this pop up experience was its integration with social media. Evian handed over the creative control to its fans and thereby accomplished an interactive and engaging brand experience.
Are you interested in creating your very own pop up store or pop up experience? Get in touch with The Events Structure team today on 0161 821 1010 for more information on our exhibition units including self-drive units, roadshow trailers, customised containers and mobile showrooms.