This week, Target plans to open a pop-up store in downtown Chicago, the first time the company has used one of its pop-up stores in the Midwest.
For the uninitiated, a pop-up store is a temporary store that is open for a limited time – typically in a major city or mall – to create buzz around particular brand or product. Currently, one of the latest trends in retailing, pop-up stores give retailers an opportunity to quickly connect with consumers and give them a sense of urgency to purchase their products.
According to the Milwaukee Business Journal, Target will open the Bullseye Bazaar in the Tribune Tower to showcase items that are usually only sold on the retailer’s Website, Target.com. The bazaar will feature more than a dozen Target designers including Sonia Kashuk, Mossimo, Thomas O’Brien and Michael Graves as well as some limited-time collaborations from other up and coming designers.
In 2006, Gap also implemented a 60s themed pop-up store campaign. The company used a school bus as a traveling pop-up store in Los Angeles and New York and stopped at beaches on both coasts. Instead of seats, the bus was stocked with t-shirts, flip-flops, and beach hats that people bought and paid for at a cash register near the driver’s seat. Other brands using these “act now” techniques to get customers into their stores include Nike, Wal-Mart and the now-defunct airline Song.
Blair McCaw, president of the Constellation Management Group, a brand management firm in Chicago, said in a 2008 Brandweek interview that, “pop-up stores are an effective channel for turning short-term marketing promotions into long-term “brand-building vehicles” by actively engaging consumers.”
In addition to providing a quick and effective way to interact with consumers, pop-up stores are a cost effective way to get the pulse on a retailer’s customer base. Pop-up stores are relatively inexpensive to launch when compared to the costs for producing and distributing print and broadcast advertisements. From a PR perspective, pop-up stores can provide an ideal vehicle for generating buzz and garnering high profile media coverage on a shoestring budget. In 2007, The U.S. Potato Board launched a pop-up store in New York to promote the fact that potatoes contain more potassium than bananas as well as nutrients like folic acid and vitamin C. The campaign was featured in the New York Times and all of the national network morning shows.
While I’m a self-professed shopaholic (particularly at Target), I have never had the opportunity to shop at a pop-up store. However, I can see the appeal of being able to purchase Michael Kors’ (just an example) new discount line at Target or H&M for a limited time at a store in downtown Seattle or San Francisco. It would certainly encourage me to quickly get into the store and check out the collection – and maybe even increase my brand loyalty to a particular store.
Have you ever shopped at a pop-up store? Tell us about your experience by leaving a comment.