What is a PopUp Store?

A Pop Up store is an instant store with a determined purpose. The term was coined more than a decade ago in the U.S. to refer to stores for a fixed term, a few hours or several months, aimed to publicize a product, selling stock, launched a promotion enabling a rapprochement with the client, etc … through a spectacle store. Thus during the duration they are the focus of attention of the people, who feel irresistibly drawn to this novelty.

The idea comes from an American communication agency after a trip to Japan. They watched an area close to the port that only once a year they opened to the public a commercial space where everything always sold out. So they saw how they could give a more exclusive and original concept to the selling.

One of the pioneers in creating a pop-up store was the Japanese Comme des Garçons, who redecorated a garage in New York to make it for a week into a shop open to the public. Later, big brands like Apple, Nike and Chanel have also opted for this new pop-up store concept.

Pop-up stores are the latest business trend: temporary installations that play with the surprise element and arouse consumers’ interest. In this type of ephemeral installations it does not matter so much the location, but the user’s experience. The key is to find the right mix of exclusivity with a fleeting touch. Burst into downtown, looking for unusual places in order to create excitement and notoriety for the brand through a special experience that leaves a mark.

Pop Up Stores in Spain

In Spain, pop up stores arrived in 2009 to Barcelona with Daniel Aguirre as the leader and to Madrid two years later. In the national territory, the Pop-up store celebrated by Custo stands out, who used this type of event for the sale of stock. More recently the shops that launched the athletic footwear company, MUNICH in Barcelona, also stood out. It was designed by Studio Animal, architect Javier Jimenez, in collaboration with the graphic designer Eli Cayuela.

In Spain, at the webpage POPPLACES you can locate any space that is available for rent for putting together these shops. Thus you do not need to invest in expensive rental, and complex infrastructures. The concept must be planned to take place with an added creativity value and design aimed at an affordable investment.

Pop Up Stores made of cardboard

“Pop up” comes from the English expression meaning arise or occur suddenly. This concept may relate to the characteristics of the cardboard, which is lightweight and strong, transportable material, especially easily adapted to match the end user’s needs, because they can be customized by printing the logo or any other graphic. It can also be made to be fire resistant, waterproof, etc.

It also needs to be emphasized the ecological character of a material such as cardboard, a material commonly known for packaging products, but with great potential for reuse and recycling. The fast assembly of cardboard spaces makes it an ideal material for the pop up concept, because the furniture was custom-designed for the client. It also has great strength and a surprising durability. The entire store can be transported and installed without problems in a different location.

Children City Shop. Monaco. Design CartonLAB.

Increasingly brands rely on the pull of the “Pop Up” to connect with the crowd, becoming known in basements, boats, private homes, warehouses, terraces… or at the street! They are a new way to publicize a brand through an amazing space.

This is a unique opportunity to connect with the customer, in an atmosphere of closeness and trust, perfect to convey those special values of the brand.