Pop-Up Retail: Fad for the Fabulous?

So, I am sitting at my desk the other day when this interesting inquiry comes across my email. I work in the wholesale gift industry, so my clients are retailers (of all sizes) throughout North America. This particular & prospective client was soliciting me, which I found very interesting. They had put together a unique retail concept and were pitching it to vendors who wanted to participate. Normally the shoe was on the other foot, so I was automatically intrigued.

I came to find out that this particular retail concept was not their idea specifically, but an up and coming trend in the retail world, as trendwatching.com is quick to point out, called “Pop-Up Retail.” Think PlayStation® Experience Truck, but temporarily parked and transformed into a fabulous retail space in Soho NY or on Melrose for 9-12 weeks and then POOF! Gone…

From a marketing perspective this new concept is a great way to create a buzz, about the store brand, or the products within. However, the question remains, is this a marketing strategy reserved only for those with deep pockets, or is this something anyone can do successfully? The exorbitant cost of rent for a downtown NYC or LA retail space, combined with what must be a massive budget for PR to generate foot traffic during such a short time span, certainly defies most independent retail budgets. And, the pure work that is involved in finding a space, filling it and then closing it out and closing the doors seems too much for a few people to handle and still make money. Perhaps someone will prove me wrong, but when companies taking advantage of this “pop-up” concept are the likes of Target, E-bay, Delta, Bluefly.com and more, it makes you wonder: Is this “pop-up” retail concept just another line item on the marketing budget of America’s top brands? Is this fly by night concept only setting consumers up for disappointment when their new favorite store is gone only weeks or months later? Only time will tell.

Until then, I will continue to support my favorite local establishments that are part of the fabric of our community and will (hopefully) always be there when I need them for my next retail therapy session.

The Beginning

As I sit down to write the first entry in my blog, I find myself filled with too many thoughts to write, to the degree, that I sit here staring at the screen for minutes on end with... nothing. Not a word, a place to start, nothing. Is it because I don’t know what to write about first? Is it because I don’t know what to prioritize as my most important idea or stream of thought that I want to put out into the universe for all to read, judge and comment on? Is it because maybe the thought of putting words in a public forum for anyone to see is terrifying (should I change my settings to private)? It is like that quintessential moment when someone asks you what do you want from life and you just stare blankly back at them. Filled with anxiety at the notion of trying to summarize the last 30+ years of thoughts, ideas, wants, desires, lessons learned and dreams all into one sentence. It seems impossible. But we have to start somewhere, so here goes….

I live in a small mountain town in Colorado, yet my work takes me to New York City from time to time. The two places are so vastly different, yet it is interesting how one can find happiness, solace and comfort in each place.

NYC… the excitement of being in the city that never sleeps, the irony of being able to walk down the street in complete and utter anonymity, and the sadness of knowing you will literally never run into anyone you know, the notion that many people, famous and otherwise, got their start walking down the very same street, the throbbing in my feet from literally beating the concrete jungle with my heels, the fact that I can plug into my MP3 player and roam the streets for hours watching people and keeping my pace to the rhythm of the music (would anyone notice?), and even through the melodies bouncing in my ears, the NOISE of NYC. My god, no wonder they call it the city that never sleeps. The incessant taxi honking, the drunk frat bros outside the window at 2am in the morning trying to fight or one up one another or whatever it is they are slurring on about at a high decibel. Yet it is always worth it because it is the city.

However, the thing I find most frustrating about the city is that no matter how many times I go, I am never able to do everything, or sometimes anything, that I want to do. It is just so overwhelming. Should I see a play, check out a comedy show, skate at Rockefeller Center, shop, eat at the hole in the wall I heard great things about, eat at the five star restaurant I heard great things about, catch a drink at the rooftop bar, or the Irish pub, shop again, go to a Museum, catch up with friends….I am exhausted just thinking about it. The truth is that as wonderful as it is that there is never a dull moment, there are simply too many options. So, while I always have a good time, I inevitably leave feeling unfulfilled in so many ways. As if I missed out on too many things.

So upon my return to the mountain town I call home, I decide to go out to dinner with a girlfriend of mine. We indulged a bit too much in the vino, so I decided to walk home. The walk was nothing like the walk in NYC. The snow crunching quietly beneath my feet, a constant reminder of the season, and the fact that I should have remembered my gloves. Yet, the chill in the air was refreshing as opposed to the biting cold of NYC that made me lose feeling in my phalanges. And most noticeably, the quiet. I walked down our main street downtown and not a single car drove by (and mind you it is 11pm on a Friday!). I turned on to my street and nothing. Just the sound of the snow crunching quietly beneath my feet. All of a sudden I felt so small. Not in a bad way, but in a satisfying way, like it was good to be home. So, as much as I enjoy the excitement of being in the city, at the end of the day, I realize I belong in the mountains. That is, at least until the next time New York beckons my name, where I am sure I will realize something different about the city, or myself in the city, or maybe, just about myself.