Interior of the Habbot pop-up store, Melbourne
Pop-up stores have long been popular in America and Europe and have recently started to creep into vacant buildings in shopping hotspots around Australia, growing in popularity with each new store.
For Annie Abbot, shoe designer and owner of the online store Habbot, a pop-up store was just what she needed to showcase her entire collection and test out the market.
Annie Abbot in her Habbot pop-up store
She stated that the Habbot pop-up store in Melbourne’s GPO enabled her to firstly, “build the brand’s presence in the marketplace by creating publicity around the shop in both traditional print media, and also via digital on-line channels.”
“Secondly, we are a young and small business and not ready for the financial commitment of a long-term lease and staffing costs associated with a permanent store. We also do not carry enough stock to fill a store for an entire season.”
Ms Abbot’s store, which opened on the 18th August 2011 and closed on the 8th October 2011, had great success in drawing customers in and gaining publicity for the brand.
“We’ve gained some fantastic press in the Herald Sun, The Age on-line, Sydney Morning Herald on-line, The Design Files blog, fashion Journal Blog and several other smaller fashion blogs.
“We’ve also been able to introduce and ‘talk’ about the brand to hundreds of customers that have visited the store. Sales in-store (and on-line) have quadrupled in the past month as a result of use having (and promoting) the store.”
Visual display in the Habbot pop-up store
But for many people, a pop-up store is still a foreign concept, however Ms Aboot believes that the popularity of the pop-up store will increase throughout Australia.
“Whilst there continues to be more vacant shops than usual due to the difficult retail climate I do think pop-up stores will become more popular. But even when consumer spending returns to higher levels I think the pop-up concept will still exist.”
In 2009, America’s CBS News shone a spotlight on the emergence of pop-up stores, with the introduction of an Ebay pop-up store in Manhattan:
Whilst in America pop-up stores are now extremely common, with high end brands such as Marc Jacobs and and low end brands such as Target popping up all over the country, Australia appears to be doing it’s very best to stay on trend and keep up with the US.
Alina Petanic, 24,stumbled across a pop-up store in Surry Hills and was immediately drawn to its atmosphere.
“It had a marketplace vibe to it and that was what appealed to me the most. It wasn’t just some chain store where no matter where you go you find the same stuff. It was more diverse and attractive and I definitely think pop-up stores are a successful retail idea, because it’s bringing a refreshing angle to shopping”
Clarissa Lum, 23, also believes that pop-up stores are a refreshing addition to the retail sector, “I think it’s successful because its showcasing/selling products of smaller businesses – something different in our local shopping centres…I love how they rotate, different businesses pop up each time.”
