RESOURCES · E-NEWSLETTERS · THINK · AUGUST 2007

POP GOES THE STORE

Pop-up stores are a trend in buzz marketing that has been gaining momentum over the last few years. The basic concept behind a pop-up store is really very simple: open a temporary store that features a new or unique product line. The store is open only for a short time (usually no longer than six months but sometimes only a couple of days). The store's limited life, coupled with its product offering, generates buzz among consumers and creates a sense of urgency for the product.

A number of retailers have successfully executed pop-up stores. Big box retailer Target has been credited with helping pioneer the concept and is probably pop-up's biggest success story. Back in 2003, Target launched a temporary floating store on the Hudson River in New York City for the Christmas season. The store generated so much buzz people waited in line to be able to get in. In a smart move, Target took the opportunity to create an emotional bond with its customers and made wait times more bearable by serving guests hot chocolate. More recently Target launched a pop-up store in New York City featuring the upscale fashion design line Proenza Schouler at discount prices and generating lots of buzz in the four short days it was open.

You don't have to be a retail brand to launch a pop-up store. As a matter of fact, pop-up stores have worked really well for brands that don't have traditional brick and mortar outlets or aren't retailers at all. The U.S. Potato Board successfully created buzz by launching a pop-up store. And, since these stores cost on average approximately $200,000 — much less than a traditional 30-second television spot — in many cases they end up getting more through publicity exposure. The U.S. Potato Board's pop-up store garnered coverage in an array of media outlets such as the New York Times and various morning shows, more media than it would have been able to afford with its budget.

Pop-up stores surprise and delight consumers and provide an opportunity to physically interact with brands in a way that is unexpected.