Guidelines pop-up stores

The emergence of ephemeral retail finds its place at the crossroads of the real estate market and the search for experience from consumers. Physical commerce has seen a unification of the in-store customer experience in recent decades. Whether you are in Paris, New York or London, these are the same brands with the same merchandising. Thus, the consumer lacks surprise and discovery. Faced with the growing demand of consumers looking for originality and the constant desire to be surprised, brands must be creative to meet this need and the ephemeral lends itself very well to the game.

The success of the ephemeral format can also be explained by the reduced financial burden and the limitation of the financial risk represented by an own store. Thanks to e-commerce, the physical store is no longer the only source of income for a brand. However, as stated above, physical commerce remains an interesting sales channel when implementing an omnichannel strategy . Combining digital and physical in its strategy allows consumers to navigate the world of their favorite brands not only through their online world, but also during events such as pop-up stores.

What are the advantages of a pop-up store?

A true marketing tool of the 21st century, how can we explain the dazzling success of the pop-up store?

1. The pop-up store, a test and learn tool

According to Nestore, the pop-up store is used as a laboratory. We see pop-up stores as a way to test new concepts, test a market, a location, a target... before deploying it on a large scale. During this test it is important to collect performance data and analyze it to measure the impact of the store on the development of the brand and find avenues for improvement. 

Contact with the customer is clearly your best ally to best understand your target and their expectations. It is therefore very important to go directly to the store to meet your customers and obtain feedback .

2. Ephemerality minimizes financial risks

Also, by resorting to ephemerality, brands do not commit to long-term commercial leases that are often very expensive. The pop-up store versus a traditional store minimizes financial risk . It's an agile way to approach the transition to physics before why not taking the plunge and settling in permanently. This can also be seen as a reinforcement during often busier periods such as Christmas or other holidays.

3. The pop-up store renews the customer experience

A company opening a pop-up store simply gives life to its brand , to its products. Through design, events or collaborations , it is the perfect opportunity to highlight the purpose of your brand and transmit your identity. By applying customizable merchandising concepts , customers become loyal and are seduced by feeling considered by the brand.

The pop up store, or ephemeral store, meets its customers, and therefore has the ultimate goal of creating proximity and privilege thanks to its short-term format. Creating a link between a brand and consumers is the main advantage of ephemerality. Thus, customers, always looking for new experiences , feel considered and the brand attracts new customers by offering events, activities such as talks, mini-games, DIY workshops, etc. A very good communication move for the brand which will attract the curiosity of its customers, prospects but also the media!

Illustrated examples: reasons for a pop-up store

Vous lancez un nouveau produit ou vous étendez votre gamme ? Faire un pop-up store peut être une excellente campagne de communication et ainsi permettre de faire la promotion de votre produit. C’est ce qu’à fait la marque Coca-Cola pour le lancement de sa nouvelle boisson FuzTea. Coco Chanel a aussi eu recours à l’éphémère à l’occasion du lancement de sa nouvelle gamme de maquillage “Coco Crush”.

Beaucoup d’entreprises se dirigent vers l’éphémère dans le but de faire vivre une expérience à leurs clients. Cela a été le cas pour la marque de desserts Danette. Qui, en misant tout sur son emblématique pot de yaourt, a proposé de nombreuses activités ludiques au sein de son magasin éphémère. La marque de bière 1664 a également proposé un concept innovant à l'arrivée de l’été. L’objectif ici était de faire passer un moment “chill” aux clients en privatisant un hôtel.

Enfin, l’idée du pop up store peut également être d'interagir avec sa communauté, de se rapprocher d’elle et de créer un lien. Ce fut le cas pour IKEA, qui a mis en place un cinéma éphémère avec ses propres meubles et laissant le choix du film aux clients. Kellogg’s Extra a créé un atelier permettant aux consommateurs de créer leur propre recette de céréales. La meilleure, sera sélectionnée et commercialisée le trimestre suivant. 

1. Pop-up stores to promote an offer

Quoi de mieux qu’un espace éphémère totalement dédié à son nouveau produit pour l’introduire sur le marché ? Des marques comme Coca-cola ou Chanel ont saisi cette occasion et se sont servies de l’éphémère comme moyen de communication afin de promouvoir le lancement de leurs nouveaux produits ou nouvelles collections.

Coca Cola pop-up store for its new Fuze Tea drink

Afin de faire la promotion de leur toute nouvelle boisson Fuze Tea, un thé glacé healthy et faible en calories, la marque a vu grand et a mis en place un pop up store d’une semaine sur le thème de la déconnexion. Sur place les clients peuvent déguster du thé glacé gratuitement le tout dans une ambiance détendue et conviviale aux couleurs de la marque, verte et jaune. Côté aménagement, des espaces de détente sont mis en avant : des fauteuils à bascule, un photo call balançoire, un espace citations qui invitait à « déconnecter », un autre espace où déguster les boissons sur un fond musical tout en ayant les yeux bandés… Le tout était réuni pour passer un moment convivial et pour permettre aux clients de découvrir cette toute nouvelle boisson. 

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Chanel: Coco Game Center

To introduce its new "Coco Crush" make-up range, Chanel has opened a "Coco Game Center" in several cities around the world: an ephemeral space featuring Chanel-branded arcade games. At the Coco Game Center, you can play a number of trendy original games such as Guitar Hero, Smash or the retro game "Pong". You can also play a pincer game to win samples of the new collection... And if games aren't your cup of tea, you can get advice and make-up from Chanel's makeup artists! At the Coco Game Center, you can have fun and enjoy yourself while discovering the new Coco Crush range hidden in the pop-up merchandising.

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2. Creating a memorable pop-up store experience

D’autres marques vont préférer créer des univers où venir partager des moments en famille ou entre amis. Elles proposent des lieux où jouer, créer et passer du bon temps dans l’optique de développer leur notoriété et asseoir leur positionnement dans l’esprit de leur clientèle.

Danette and its sPOT

At sPOT Danette, the brand decided to focus on its emblematic yoghurt pot: POT'pong, a game derived from the very famous Beer Pong, and the POTomaton for taking photos between POTes. A dance area was also available for those with a POT's rhythm... In short, at the Danette sPOT, it was a chance to disconnect from Parisian stress and have a fun time! Danette seized the opportunity to bring the brand to life in real life, with a whole concept based around its cream desserts. Yummy!

3. Get closer to your community and build customer loyalty with pop-up stores

Ikea's ephemeral cinema

In Russia in 2014, Ikea replaced the armchairs in a cinema with its own furniture (bed, table, lamp, cushion...). Ikea had already carried out the same experiment in the Olympia in Paris in 2010.