An event occurred recently in New York City. A pop-up shop appeared on Broadway with a minimalist sign that simply read, “Coming Soon Apple Pop-Up Shop,” accompanied by a date.

Surely, the notion of Apple’s first ever pop up intrigued many who passed by. What would an Apple pop up offer? A new color of iPhone? An exclusive Apple Watch band? The debut of a life-changing product heretofore undreamt of by mere mortals outside of Cupertino?

No. It sold apples. Actual apples. Apparently, very good apples. A new variety, the debut of the Rave, “a new brand of apple exclusively grown by sixth-generation apple farmers,” according to the event’s Facebook page.

This is the perfect example of the types of cheeky, fun things that are possible with a pop-up store. Have a new type of apple to sell? Well, you could set up a roadside stand, or you could let the buzz build by promoting (and creating) an apple pop up.

Pop ups provide as many benefits to retailers as they do for consumers. Online-only shops are able to venture into a physical space to mingle with customers and brick-and-mortar stores are able to test out new concepts and markets.

Promote Holiday and Seasonal Merchandise

Granted, the Halloween and Christmas pop up markets are pretty saturated – but that leaves about a thousand other holidays for you to use as a theme for your store. Sure, there’s Valentine’s Day or Mother’s Day, but you can get nuttier. Who wouldn’t love an Arbor Day pop up? Only a real curmudgeon, that’s who. What about National Spaghetti Day? Yup, that’s a thing; it’s January 4. National Mustard Day? First Saturday in August. Read a Book Day? September 6.

If you sell a product, there is likely a day that corroborates with it. And that’s a great reason to launch a pop up to celebrate.

Cost-Effective

Establishing a pop-up puts minimal strain on your budget, and it is certainly less than the cost of maintaining a brick-and-mortar full time. When creating the budget for your pop up there are some things you need to keep in mind:

• Cost of the structure – whether you’re building from the ground up, renting a temporary structure, or securing a short-time lease, this will likely be your biggest expense

• Staffing – you’re trying to convey an atmosphere with your pop up, and staffing is a big part of that so make sure you have the right people (and the right amount of people) in place

• Promotion – this can cost you as little as nothing and as much as, well, that’s up to you, with enough planning, the entire promotion of a pop up can be done using social media

• Insurance – you’ll need some liability insurance, this is typically between $300 to $500 for a month

• POS System – if you have a brick-and-mortar store, you may be able to utilize your existing system, online stores will need to pay a fee to get this set up

• Utilities – these may be included in your rent, if not be sure to include this item in your budget

These are just some ideas to get you thinking about the financial plan. There are other potential costs like furniture, paint, Wi-Fi, inventory, etc. When devising the budget, it’s also important to consider what you intend to achieve from the pop up. Is it sales? Increased brand recognition? While there are some up-front costs, the return on investment for a pop up is usually significant, as long as you’ve defined what those goals are.

Fear of Missing Out (FOMO)

The reason most pop ups succeed – the whole appeal –  is that there is a narrow timeframe for consumers to grab an exclusive, limited, or one-time only deal. By telling visitors that there is a limited window for them to connect with your brand and purchase these wares, you are providing the motivation for instant purchases. Visitors who wait not only risk the item being gone, the entire shop may not be there when they return.

Create Brand Recognition

No matter how well you’ve saturated your market and promoted your brand, there are always going to be geographic areas where you remain a mystery. A pop up is a cost-effective way to enter those areas of low penetration. The more you can touch and impress new consumers with a pop up, the more likely they will be to seek you out again in person or online once your pop up is gone.

Experiment in a New Market

Pop-up shops are ideal for experimentation because they are so cost effective. Uncertain how your brand will be received in a new area? Hesitant about the promise of a new product? Give it a test run in a pop up.

Or are you about to unveil a product that you know will make a splash and want to generate some fun, pre-launch buzz? A pop up is a great solution for gauging consumer reaction to new launches and gather customer feedback about ways to improve your offerings.

Get to Know Your Customers

Running an online-only business means there are not a lot of opportunities to meet and greet your clientele. A pop-up shop enables you to head into the areas where your customers live and work. By surprising them with a local pop-up shop, you have an extremely fun opportunity to bring your online personality to life while thanking loyal customers – and making new ones.

The Perfect Location is Wherever You Want

You name it: a park, vacant lot, beach, under a bridge, etc. You are only limited by your imagination. The benefits of these open-air settings are that you are not beholden to any existing space to establish your brand. However, you will need to find a structure to contain your pop up. Fortunately, there are some low-cost solutions that can even add to the whimsy of your shop.

One example is Event Architecture’s modular event structures. These clean, modern structures are designed to be set up in different environments, including uneven surfaces like sand. The contemporary design of these structures looks great and is so unique that eyes are drawn to these temporary buildings.

In addition, the front and back entrances feature clear Plexiglas panels and doors, so shoppers can easily check out what’s happening.

There are a variety of configurations that can be sized up and down to fit your exact requirements. In general, since the structures are modular, they can be mixed and matched as needed.

• XPO: The XPO single story model is available in two sizes of approximately 20’ and 33’ wide. Extend the depth in increments of 8’ as far as the eye can see, simply by adding on additional AirCells.

• xDek: Expand space upward with the xDek. This sturdy steel and aluminum freestanding deck was designed so an XPO can fit below it. The xDek provides an upscale, open-air space.

• XPODH: Looking for an open feel? Need more height? Double it with the XPODH. Like the XPO, the depth of the XPODH can be extended, simply by attaching additional AirCells.

• Yum Yum: the Yum Yum is an 8×8-foot pod that is designed for selling food and merchandise through a hinge-up serving window.

• Snoozy/OiO: The Snoozy and OiO are both 8×8 units designed for sleeping (Snoozy) and mobile workspaces (OiO).

There are no limits to your options. Since flooring panels lock in place to help ensure the structures stand solid, there’s plenty of space under the floor to customize your electric grid. Which means you can include an optional climate control system or even go so far as setting up a fully-functional restaurant. And the structures can be completely branded – inside and out.

Give Event Architecture a call at 214-343-9433 and discover how our modular event structures can help you fulfill your pop up goals.