Practical tips to organize a showroom/pop-up shop

There has never been a better time to find a suitable venue for your showroom. With the depression and austerity across Europe most of our cites have empty shops. These are usually available on short term leases for free or minimum rent.  They are becoming extremely popular because they allow immense flexibility, while not requiring a large commitment of time and money. A pop-up gallery or showroom can be a great option for our ‘Artcycling’ project.

 What are the most important factors in choosing a pop-up location?

• You want to be in a high foot traffic area (footfall). This will lessen the problem of trying to market your showroom. You also want to be in an area and on a street that appropriate for an art up-cycling venture.
• It is important that you do your market research before setting up, know the area and walk the streets, even talk to people in the area – what do they want to see in their high street?
• Who is your pop-up trying to attract – is it people who already know about the project, or are you trying to reach an entirely new audience? If it’s the latter, a pop-up can be a great way to introduce ‘Artcycling’, but will require more work in terms of spreading the word through routes aside from your physical presence in the area.
• Has the area hosted pop-ups in the past, and were they a success? Definitely have a wander around the area, use social media and see what other activity there is in the neighbourhood and think about the people who will be visiting the area, whether for work, shopping, leisure or other reasons.
• Do not make the mistake of thinking any space will do. Choose a space that’s appropriate to your concept and the makers involved, it is critical to the success of your showroom.
• What do you do if you can’t find any appropriate space in the city centre? Look at places like church halls, community spaces, etcetera, and not just empty shops for places to pop up.
• Some of the most innovative and successful pop-ups have taken place in unconventional spaces. It can add a degree of intrigue and captures the imagination of visitors. For example in Liverpool they have been located in old disused warehouses

Do pop-ups have the same legal obligations as permanent premises?

• On the lease itself, in contrast to a more long-term lease, you will often find that the rent in a pop up lease is inclusive of insurance and service charge. As a short term tenant, you will want your repairing obligations to be
  limited just to returning the premises back to your landlord in a clean and tidy condition – you would not want to be required to foot the bill for any expensive repair bills, through the service charge or otherwise.

How can you ensure a return on investment given the cost of setting up a pop-up shop?

• The most successful for pop-up showrooms are when they start with a space that’s in the right location – that is, high footfall, turn-key space – the space being used is ready to move into, and nearby businesses that are relevant to a similar sector (art galleries, design studios, making spaces etcetera).
• It’s worth trying to reduce fit out, visual merchandising and marketing costs by offering suppliers profile as a sponsor in exchange for assistance or free materials.
• You may also be able to team up with some other business. For example having a display and selling space in a cafe – both running joint events and both benefitting from the increased footfall and customer interest.
• Try and keep the costs as low as possible. The current trend with retail design is quite minimalist and industrial around the edges, so the showroom doesn’t need to look perfect.
• Venue owners with vacant spaces are typically very receptive to working out favorable rents and terms for pop-ups. After all, the space is not currently bringing in any money, and a pop-up event often showcases the space well, which can help the landlord attract a permanent tenant.

How to set up a pop-up around other commitments?

• Make sure you have a committed team and that everyone is clearly aware of their responsibilities and when they can be available for staffing the showroom.
• The nature of a popup is that it’s finite and only there for a limited time. Because of this, be open as much as possible and ensure that its marketed as a ‘limited time only’. This does help engage people quickly and can encourage buying as it feels exclusive.
• Most retail leases will contain a “keep open” clause, for example to keep open for trade during the normal business hours of the shopping centre or locality. You would need to raise your trading hours with the landlord when negotiating terms.

How do you create a ‘buzz’ around your new pop-up?

• Use your creativity, the best pop-ups get people talking and leave a lasting impression. Make the most of the ‘Artcycling’ theme and bring energy into the showroom with live music or a free drink? Try to create an ‘instagram moment’ – something quirky and fun that stops shoppers in their tracks and leaves them with an experience to share with friends.
• Use social media to the promote the showroom. Social networks can be a great way to drive people to your shop and create a buzz about art upcycling. Make the most of Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Pinterest, post plenty of photos, engage with your users, invite key influencers and bloggers and get people to come down and talk on online.
• PR is crucial. Get in touch with local magazines and newspapers – a lot of them will have a free calendar you can use to promote the opening or events. Introduce ‘Artcycling’ to businesses in the local area area and invite them to an exclusive pop-up launch event and use social media, especially Twitter to make contact.

Will a pop-up really increase sales in the long run?

• The pop-up showroom will complement the ecommerce site and the ‘Artcycling’ web page.
• There will be more traffic and interest online when there is a physical presence, however engaging with people directly and the face-to-face experience is much more enjoyable (and profitable) for both ‘Artcycling’ and the customer.

When is it best to open the ‘Artcycling’ showroom?

• Plan carefully the timing of your showing; do not schedule it to coincide with events that might draw away your potential visitors. On the flip side, scheduling it on the same weekend as a festival or some other event that will send additional traffic to your pop-up venue can be a very wise move.[i]

 

[i] Ref: The Guardian 2013, Storefront 2015