Pop-up Stores in Retail Business
By John Feng

零售业的快闪店

快闪店已存在多年，开店位置的临时性，营业的短暂性是它们的特点。它们的发生地可能是音乐节，餐馆或品牌的促销活动，但我们意识到快闪店渐渐出现在最随机的地方的趋势。如果说之前快闪店主要是数字公司用来测试零售方案的方法，那么现在这个行业已经有各种各样的公司加入，从亚马逊到耐克到阿里巴巴。说到这里，这些零售商在这种方法中看到了什么样的价值，我们可以从它们这里学到什么呢？

以客户为中心的战略

尽管数字业务仍在蓬勃发展，但零售业仍值得特别关注。如果您觉得在购买之前想要看到自己的衣服，或者需要在商店检查蔬菜的新鲜度，那么您就是普通顾客之一。调查报告发现，时尚行业里72％的顾客仍然喜欢在实体店购买衣服，不仅因为他们可以试用货物，还可以检查配件和面料。


灵活性

从地理上讲，快闪店允许公司达到通常无法达到的地区，要么因为缺乏交通，要么基础设施差，要么是试图扩展到新的国家。

品牌意识

如果你想让别人谈论你的品牌需要做什么？快闪店可以在销售淡季带动购物中心客流。

A store employee walks past a Facebook pop-up store

It is very likely that you are tired of pop-ups, right? At least the virtual ones. Who likes to be always involuntarily “reminded” that you can win iPhones or iPads for free, or that a new software company just launched an outstanding app that will “improve” your life tremendously? The answer is no one.
 

Even though the concept was taken to an upsetting extreme, it does not mean it is wrong or that it does not work. What I would like to show you today is how the same concept can be applied to the retail business.
 

Pop-up stores have been around for many years. Their natural “habitat” might be music festivals or promotional events for restaurants or brands, but we are seeing a trend of stores appearing in the most random places. And, if before it was mainly the digitally-born companies testing a retail approach, now we have all kinds of companies doing it, from Amazon to Nike or Alibaba.
 

So, having said this, what kind of value do these retailers see in this approach and what can we learn with them?

A product which allows users to customize a book is displayed in a Facebook pop-up store, which features products from small businesses, at Macy's in Ross Park Mall, Wednesday, Nov. 14, 2018, in Ross.

Customer-Centric Strategy

Notwithstanding digital businesses keep flourishing, the retail business still deserves special attention. If you feel that you like to see your clothes before buying, or that you need to check your fresh vegetables at the store, you are among the average customer.
 

More specifically in the fashion industry, a report by Cotton Incorporated Lifestyle Monitor Survey found out that 72% of customers still prefer to buy their clothes in a physical store, not only because they can try out the goods, but also check the fittings and the fabrics.
 

Besides this, it is an amazing opportunity for managers to interact directly with the customers to feel their expectations and get their feedback. It is a more controlled environment that most likely will give them the chance to engage with customers in a more relaxed and insightful way.

Flexibility

Geographically speaking, a pop-up store allows companies to reach areas where normally they could not get, either because of a lack of foot traffic, poor infrastructures, or even when trying to expand to a new country. With this in mind, it is not difficult to imagine the benefits for a fashion brand to run a campaign in the acclaimed Yalong Bay for some months during the touristic peak. This will also allow them to target their customers in a more efficient manner, as they can choose the assortment based on the kinds of customers in each location.
 

In terms of costs, the advantages are even more clear. Brands do not need to sign long lease contracts or invest incredible amounts of money buying a physical location.
 

But, the most interesting characteristic of this flexibility is what it creates in the customers. Today, the concept of FOMO (Fear of Missing Out) has invaded our daily lives, mostly because of the number of ads we are bombarded with in every single direction we look at. Well, according to the CEO of PopUp Republic, “customers are attracted to exclusivity. They’re attracted to a ‘here today, gone tomorrow’ type of concept”, and what fits better into this than pop-up stores? Maybe nothing else…

Brand Awareness

If you want your brand to start being talked about, what can you do? Whatever platform/place you choose, you will need to create an impact on your potential customers, right? And what’s a better way than a shiny “box” in the middle of a famous “plaza” in a big city?
 

If you do it well, not only the people that never heard of you will start to like you, but your loyal customers might “evolve” to become fans or ambassadors. But instead of well, if you do it magnificently, social media will also play a major role, with the shares and likes and comments frenzy.

Wrapping Up

In my modest opinion, retail will never disappear. Even if I think the percentage of offline purchases will be much lower than online, I also think there will always be a need to touch and feel certain products before buying. Pop-up stores are an evolution of retail. Not a replacement, but an add-on, which might give the extra boost to the brand value that so many managers long for.
 

So, for the year to come, expect to see more pop-ups, both online and offline!