What’s Up with all the Pop Ups? I don’t mean the annoying ads on the internet that “pop up”, I mean shops that sell some where on a temporary basis. In Japan I recall seeing restaurants that would have pop up events in Tokyo for a limited amount of time in a temporary location. Here is an article about a Haagen-Daz pop up in Tokyo. There was even an In-N-Out Burger pop up in Shibuya that I am sure had hundreds of Japanese and expats alike lining up.

I have been seeing a lot of pop up boutiques in Edinburgh, especially ones selling vintage items.

This pop up in the Grassmarket, Iconic Edinburgh, is open for certain periods of the year, summer and the holiday season. They sell on Etsy other parts of the year. It is clearly a fully stocked brick and mortar shop, not a temporary space, so obviously different than the pop up eatery concept in Japan which had a very temporary location.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What makes the brick and mortar store, Popping Up in Stockbridge, a pop up is that it rotates through different vendors. It gives independent small businesses of handmade and vintage items, an opportunity to showcase their wares for a temporary amount of time. They sell their items for a while and then move them out for someone else to take their place. That really keeps things fresh in this shop which I really love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Leith Walk Gallery, which also is a brick and mortar shop, is a pop up because it is only open a very limited number of hours on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

I spoke with a woman at an auction I attended who paints furniture and sells it at a pop up. She does not have all of the overhead of renting a permanent space and be flexible with the amount of inventory she has to have on hand at any one time, only sells when she has enough items without the pressure of covering expenses. Other reasons people try ups is creating brand awareness and testing new geographic areas.

I really like this article on pop ups. It is geared toward people who may be considering opening up a pop up, the benefits to do doing one, goals and budgeting, but it was also interesting for someone like me who was just curious about the pop ups I saw popping up!

Have you seen any pop ups lately? if so, where and what type? food? retail shops? Has anyone ever tried their own pop up?