How Startups Can Take Advantage of Pop-Up Shops

You have what you think is a great business idea. You have identified a gap in the market. You have a passion and a belief it will work.

It is a story that has been told hundreds of times over. We see it on our local high street, we see it on the web and we see it on various television programs too. The business idea that once told to experience business people meets with a stony stare.

Of course, some of these ideas are not worth their salt, no matter how much you believe in it. Some, however, are worth taking a punt on but experienced business people don’t always get it right, choosing not to back one business idea which is now, several years later, worth millions. Where would long haired women, children and men be without the Tangle Teezer? In a whole world of pain and hair knots, that’s where.

There is a way that you, as a start-up with an idea and a passion could test your theory, without appearing on TV programs. So, unfurl your roller banners because it’s time to set up shop, a pop up shop.

Why a pop up shop?

Dipping your business toe in the water doesn’t mean selling your soul on a TV program; it means finding a channel to test the water with your consumer audience. And one great way of doing this is with a pop up shop:

Testing an idea, product or service

Just like the electric can opener to the brush that makes smooth your locks without causing pain, all these products need to be tested. You need to know whether your product or service in the same that it currently is, is a winner.

The answer may surprise you. Many an entrepreneur has taken to the market, confident that their product is the right fit only to find that it changes and morphs beyond recognition to become a hit with consumers.

A pop up shop is a short term commitment in a town or city that may lead on to bigger things for your business. You can trial your product in various places without breaking the bank because it is essential that you negotiate—and negotiate hard!—on rent.

Testing a physical, high street presence

Many people assume that the only real way of opening a business these days is to open it online. Build a website, build SEO, pay for a few pay-per-click ads and slowly, your online business will build.

It may don, or it may be that your business does need a high street presence. For businesses of all kinds, being physical, seen and tangible is important but it is tough on the coffers to rent a place under a long term agreement if you are not 100% sure that you need or event want a high street presence.

A pop up shop is a perfect way of connecting with consumers, testing whether the shop front festooned with roller banners and special offers is the direction you want your business to take.

Testing an area for a permanent presence

One retail unit may not be enough and with economies of scale that are so tight for a start-up and established businesses, testing out whether a town or city is ready and needing your high street presence is something that can be done with a pop up shop.

If it all seems to be going well, maybe the pop up shop could become a permanent retail store in that area.

And, this is not all…

The pop up shops is gaining traction as an exciting business idea and model for a number of other reasons, the two most important of which are;

1. Cheaper – it’s not all about money. Or is it? Let’s be honest, as a start-up, you will struggle at first to find the money for marketing tools, with a roller banner being one of the biggest investments you will make in your early days. Rent on a shop premises can seem like buying a trip to the moon – in other words, not possible, not yet anyway. If, however, you negotiate hard on a very short term lease, you could have the means to meet your consumers. Even your marketing kit bag is cost-effective with leaflets, roller banners and so on.
2. Raise brand awareness and excitement – the high street has been a pretty dire place since the recession hit hard in the UK in 2008. The way we use town and city centers and streets is changing. Pop up shops create a real buzz and excitement on the high street, especially as people are genuinely looking for bargains.

But we think that pop up shops are more than just financially viable for pop up shops. They are a visible mean by which consumers can and will support you because everyone loves a success story. Is a pop up shop something you will try?

Author: Colour Graphics is an online print and design company with over 20 years of experience in producing and designing printed materials for all kinds of businesses, products and services. Over the decades, they have seen huge changes in the business world, with pop up shops being an exciting innovation.