How to Find the Best Place for Your Pop-Up Store

13 min read

If you鈥檝e been looking for a way to increase brand awareness, test new markets, engage customers, and generate revenue, you鈥檝e probably been considering a pop-up store.

If the decision to do a pop-up shop for your online business is a “yes”, you next need to figure out the details of how that鈥檚 going to work. You probably have a lot of questions.

Things like:

Where will your pop-up be?
How will you find a location?
How do you evaluate the right space?
What are the laws and regulations you need to know?

In this post, we鈥檒l explore the nuances of finding the ideal place for your pop-up store so you can pinpoint the best possible location for your in-person event.

Weigh the Options

When it comes to checking out potential spaces, you have a few different options to consider. Think about the goals of your pop-up store, and then decide which of these routes is most likely to produce the results you鈥檙e after.

Space within another store

If you鈥檙e looking to tap into a specific set of customers, hosting a pop-up shop within an existing retail store can be a great way to reach a highly relevant audience.

This is good news for the store owner, 迟辞辞鈥揳蝉 your pop-up shop fee will help offset their rent expenses. Think of a store whose target customers and branding align with 测辞耻谤蝉鈥揳苍诲 then reach out to see if you can partner up for a special shopping event.

For example: Online jewelry retailer Natalie Borton partnered with female fashion retailer for a special in-store pop-up shop. At the event, shoppers had the chance to meet the designer, buy her products (that fit nicely with the brand鈥檚 overall aesthetic), and enjoy some special refreshments.

This helped Madewell get more foot traffic as Borton was able to spread the word about the event to her local following, and Madewell鈥檚 shoppers got the chance to be introduced to a new designer, too. Win-win!

Source: thoughtsbynatalie.com

Best for: This option makes a lot of sense if you鈥檙e working with a small budget, don鈥檛 need a large space for your products, and if you鈥檙e looking to attract an existing retailer鈥檚 demographic of shoppers.

Shopping Centers

Malls and shopping centers make sense for a pop-up store because they鈥檙e a go-to place for shoppers who are in the “ready to buy” mindset.

In these locations, you can often either rent a kiosk or booth in the mall鈥檚 high traffic central zone or sometimes, you can do a limited time store setup in a retail space that鈥檚 been vacant for a while.

For example: Online retailer experimented with renting out vacant space in a shopping center in late 2016 by offering limited time pop-up 蝉丑辞辫蝉鈥揳苍诲 as a result of successful experiments in different shopping centers around the US, decided to keep several locations .

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Best for: Renting space within a mall or shopping center makes sense if you have a lot of product and if you want a standalone selling space that you don鈥檛 have to share.

Kiosks are cheaper than full-store space rental, but if you鈥檙e wanting to create a full-blown shopping experience for the customer, renting out a vacant storefront for a short time will offer the space you need to really make a lasting impression.

Outdoor pop-up shops

With the right permits, some brands find that busy outdoor spaces make ideal places for their pop-up shops. In these instances, being in an area of high foot traffic is 别蝉蝉别苍迟颈补濒鈥搒辞 make sure to look for a space that will bring lots of potential buyers right by your 辫辞辫-耻辫鈥檚 location.

For example: Online beauty subscription box retailer tested this method in multiple spaces around the US, but they took things a step further: Along with products, they offered passersby an experience. Manicures, astrology readings, and other beauty perks were offered to customers who stopped by.

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Keep in mind that for this option, adding an experience element is a good idea, as it gives people an extra reason to stop and look around at your outdoor pop-up shop.

It鈥檚 not likely that a mall or shopping center will permit you to host your own mini-event within their venue, so this opportunity is unique to this option.

If you decide to add the experience element, think about what low-cost, hands-on activities you can tie in to showcase your products. If it鈥檚 clothing you鈥檙e selling, maybe it鈥檚 a dressing room and a photo booth. If it鈥檚 around the holidays, maybe it鈥檚 a gift wrapping station. You can get creative.

Best for: Outdoor pop-ups can help you capture event overflow, attract all different types of audiences, and aren鈥檛 constricted to the retail environment of a shopping mall or another store鈥檚 retail space. This work well for brands wanting to reach a diverse crowd and meet a high volume of new customers.

Let鈥檚 do a quick recap of these three venues and what they鈥檙e best for:

Space within another store: Small scale, low investment, partnership opportunity, ability to capture a store鈥檚 existing demographic of shoppers.
Shopping centers/malls: Allows you to make a big impression without having to share the spotlight. More expensive, but gives you more room and access to general foot traffic.
Outdoor setups: Good for high-traffic areas, attracts a diverse audience. Ideal for capturing general foot traffic or event overflow.

Pinpoint Realistic Pop-Up Store Locations

Maybe at this point you鈥檙e thinking, “Okay, but where do I even start looking for pop-up locations near me?”

Rather than going with the first location option that comes your way, you鈥檒l want to be sure and evaluate several different possibilities based on price, location, and partnership opportunities. There are a few ways to kick off this location-scouting process:

Ask local real estate agents if they know of viable spaces that have allowed pop-up shops in the past.
Reach out to the store owner/property owner directly if you find a space that looks ideal.
Put together a list of existing retail stores who have partnered with similar brands in the past.
Connect with other online retailers who have put together pop-up shops in the past and ask how they found their spaces.

Aside from these grassroot-style efforts, you can also check out some online marketplaces geared specifically toward helping people book pop-up spaces.

Republic Spaces

The convenient interface of

From here, put together a running list of potential locations with the pros and cons of each space. Next, you鈥檒l start thinning down this list to figure out which option is the best one for your pop-up store.

List the Pros and Cons

Start the evaluation process by making a pros and cons list and looking at a few different factors that can help determine which is the best option for you and your brand.

Budget: Different spaces will have different costs associated with them, so be sure that your investment in a pop-up store location leaves a room for you to profit on the event. Some research indicates you can expect to spend anywhere from $1,500-$25,000 depending on the scale and run time of your pop-up shop.

Target Audience: Choose the space that鈥檚 most likely to bring you your target customers, that has complementary retailers nearby, and that would pull foot traffic.If the space isn鈥檛 likely to be visited by one of your target personas, it鈥檚 probably not a good option.

Space: Depending on the size and type of your products, you may need a little or a lot of space to stock your pop-up shop. Make sure there is enough room for you to effectively display products and to store additional product for re-stocking, as well as room for customers to browse.

Logistics & Safety: In order for your store to be successful, you should also consider how the logistics and security of different spaces will contribute to your store. Look for:

Reliable wi-fi for credit card processing (This is important for your 黑料门 mobile app and mobile POS)
Sufficient number of sockets: for charging your laptop or smartphone, to plug in the additional lights, and even to test your products if you sell electronic devices
A well lit-area to help prevent theft, plus cameras for security purposes
A nearby bathroom for yourself and for customers
Easy access for setup and teardown

With a narrowed down list and one or two highly viable options, you can start to move ahead and make sure you have the appropriate permits, licenses, and permissions to put your pop-up store plan into action.

Know Legal Requirements for Pop-Up Shops

Before you move too far ahead, there are a few important legal documents and permissions you鈥檒l need to make sure your pop-up store is 100% safe from any legal situations, so be sure you鈥檝e got the appropriate documentation on-hand.

A business license: See if the state or city requires you to have a business license or registration, and make sure your filing is up-to-date.

Special license/permit for your product type: If you鈥檙e selling a product with regulations (alcohol, food, etc.), you may need special permits to sell in your pop-up store. Check with local and state departments to get the right permissions before the event.

Lease agreement: You need a with the business or property owner you鈥檙e working with, which usually comes in the form of a lease. Review the fine print of this document carefully and make sure you know the ins and outs of the agreement you鈥檙e getting into.

Insurance: It鈥檚 likely you鈥檒l need to purchase additional insurance coverage for your physical store event. Talk to your insurance agent to find out if there are short-term “riders” you can tack on to your current policy, or find out if the property manager is providing full coverage.

If you鈥檙e missing one of these important documents, you could quickly find yourself in a costly lawsuit or dealing with fines. Get all of your paperwork in order before you plan the specifics of the event.

Find the Perfect Spot for Your Pop-Up Store

Once you鈥檝e considered all of the variables we鈥檝e discussed here, you鈥檒l be on the right path for a successful, secure, and profitable event.

Remember to think about how your location will contribute to your ultimate 辞产箩别肠迟颈惫别蝉鈥揳苍诲 factor in various costs when making your choice. In doing so, you鈥檒l be choosing the best possible place that helps you connect with new customers who become loyal, long-term customers.