Thinking about opening up a pop-up store? These can be a great way to test out a possible new retail location, boost sales, and generate overall buzz for your brand. But before opening your doors, you need to do a little bit of preparation. Here is a guide for successfully planning a pop-up shop for your company that customers will enjoy and will increase product sales.
1. Finding a Retail Space
First and foremost, you’ll need somewhere to put that pop-up shop. Some companies opt to rent out a small storefront for a few months, but you have the ability to break away from the usual approach here. Retail pop-up shops are exciting events, and curious customers will come out to check out the action.
When you’re looking for a location, think about the amount of foot traffic the space gets. Likewise, think about if the services or products around the area complement your pop-up space.
2. Obtaining Licenses
Just like with any other kind of business, you need the right documentation to legally operate a pop-up. What you need varies by location and industry, so take care to look at your local laws before taking any steps. You may need to think about licenses and permits, a rental agreement or lease, and insurance. You may also need to factor in maintenance and equipment costs as well as utilities like electricity.
3. Staffing
After securing the details, you might need some employees to operate the pop-up shop. Think about how many you may need to run the shop and how many hours they would each work. This will help you establish the budget you’ll need to proceed. Then think about if you would hire new employees or recruit them from an existing business. Finally, consider what kind of training they might need to run the pop-up.
4. Mobile Point-of-Sale Solution
Once everything is set up, you might need to think about how you will accept payments. If you aren’t operating out of a traditional storefront, you can instead opt for a mobile point-of-sale (POS) solution, allowing you to accept payments from major credit cards and digital systems quickly and securely. This will also run off cellular data, so you won’t have to worry about having a wi-fi connection nearby, either.
Most importantly, most mobile POS options let you manage your inventory in the same app, covering even more ground that will benefit pop-up shops that plan to be around for a few months and restock products.
5. Marketing
Finally, a strong marketing system gets the word out to everyone about your new pop-up shop and invites them to join. Sending an email to your newsletter list or posting on social media is a great start. You can also post signage to attract and direct foot traffic.
Above all, pop-up shops take a different kind of mindset compared to a brick-and-mortar store or eCommerce site. Instead of driving sales and cart conversions, pop-ups are experimental, which makes them a learning experience. Put some time and effort into planning your company’s pop-up shop so it’ll be a success.
