Popup shops are nothing new. We’ve all seen Halloween stores and seasonal kiosks selling calendars and stocking stuffers in malls. In the last several years, however, setting up limited engagement popup shops has become something of a marketing blitz for new brands looking to grab attention, as well as established retail enterprises seeking new audiences and revitalization.

Just look at all the celebrity popup shops that have sprung up in recent years. Artist like Kanye and Drake use pop-up shops to sell exclusive merch and build hype for impending albums, while actress Gwyneth Paltrow hosts goop markets (goop MRKT) to put her pricey goods on display. Then there are fun, zany, experiential pop-up shops like the Museum of Ice Cream (complete with a gift shop).

Whether you’re interested in getting more eyes on your retail brand by temporarily expanding into new locations or you want to take your thriving business in clicks back to the bricks, you too can take advantage of the many perks of pop-up shops. Here’s what you need to know about opening one of your own.

Set Goals

If you’re going to spend time and money creating a pop-up shop, you need to have a firm idea of goals you hope to accomplish and what you want to get out of the experience. Perhaps you want to bring attention to a new line you’re introducing by unveiling it via popup shop, or maybe you want to test out your brand and your wares with a new audience in a different market.

Your goals will influence how you go about setting up and marketing your popup shop, so this is really the first step. Of course, you also must make sure you’re catering to the right audience with the experience you provide. It’s important to know who you’re trying to attract and what will get them in the door so you can create a sense of exclusivity, urgency, and FOMO, as well as engage new customers.

Create a Budget

Going into any business venture without a budget is risky, so you need to put clear parameters in place for spending. Your pop-up budget will help you to find a suitable location, determine fixed costs like staffing and insurance, and allocate funds to marketing, as well as setting up your space with signage, displays, furniture, décor, POS, and of course, merchandise.

Plan for Portable Merchandising

Remember, pop-up shops are a blink-and-you-missed-it experience, which means you need to be in and out fast. This requires planning for relatively portable display options. The heavy tables and permanent wall displays that work great in your regular retail store aren’t going to cut it. Luckily, you can prep mannequins and other portable or wheeled displays offsite to move them into and out of your popup space with ease.

If you are interested in purchasing Fixtures and Displays, shop our website, Specialty Store Services, for all your Pop-up store needs.  If you have a question that you would like answered immediately, you can Live Chat, or phone us at 800-999-0771.