Finding more flexible ways to use space is a trend that will definitely shape the malls of the future. That’s why some people are already embracing this idea today and innovating in retail. Temporary stores are a great example of these new ideas.
Below, you’ll learn why it’s important to adopt new retail strategies, get to know temporary stores, and hear a little about one of our partners’ experience with this format. Check it out!
Why new retail strategies matter
An innovative approach benefits any business because it helps the brand stand out from the competition. Of course, in a world where so many good ideas have already hit the market, it isn’t always possible to innovate much when it comes to products or services.
So innovation can come from how the product is presented and from the shopping experience the brand is able to deliver to consumers. In other words, the POS becomes the main stage for innovation for a brand that wants to strengthen its position in an already established market.
The main way to bring innovation to retail is to embrace the new values that have been gaining prominence today, such as breaking down hierarchies, sustainability, being connected anywhere and anytime, service customization, and so on.
The temporary store concept
Temporary stores — or pop-up stores, as they’re commonly known — are stores that open for a limited time in strategic locations, aiming to give consumers a different way to interact with the brand.
How it started
The idea of temporary stores is largely based on the concept of exhibitions and fairs, which take place in many locations and date back many centuries. The big difference between the two experiences is that temporary stores aren’t organized by a group of people or companies; they’re an initiative of a single brand.
The first known temporary store appeared in November 2002 in New York. Target, the major American supermarket and department store chain, created the Target Boat (Barco Target, in Portuguese), which was temporarily docked at a pier in Manhattan.
Since then, many brands have done something similar, such as Song Airlines, Comme des Garçons, and Samsung. Other types of businesses, such as restaurants, have also tried out the idea.
How it works
By creating such a distinctive experience, the brand can attract far more visitors than usual, turning the pop-up store into an opportunity to showcase its products to a wider audience.
In addition, since there’s no permanent structure, brands can consider more unusual locations, contributing to a unique and unforgettable shopping experience.
As a result, temporary stores spark curiosity among the public and also create a sense of opportunity. Just like other events with a set start and end date, pop-up stores leave people thinking: “Wow, if I don’t check it out now, I’ll never get to see it again.”
Perhaps because they’re inspired by fairs and also carry an air of innovation and youthfulness, temporary stores are often accompanied by a variety of artistic expressions, such as live music, art exhibitions, and so on.
Temporary stores can also be a great solution for e-commerce businesses that don’t have physical stores and want to promote their brands to a more local audience.
Finally, for any type of business, planning to open a temporary store is easier and less risky than opening a regular one. That makes pop-up stores a great way to test the feasibility of opening a business in a given location. There are plenty of examples of stores that opened as temporary and became permanent.
Examples in Brazil
Although there were earlier initiatives, this trend only became more common in Brazil in 2009. Nike’s temporary store at Galeria do Rock, in São Paulo, is one of the most memorable examples.
As for online stores, one company that used pop-up stores to meet consumers in person was Oppa, a furniture e-commerce business that opened a temporary store at Shopping Eldorado in São Paulo.
Sephora, a cosmetics retailer, regularly opens temporary stores and had as many as 14 of them last year in the country’s main state capitals.
The Popspaces experience
Alê Valdivia, co-founder of AliceWonders, says: “If I had to sum it up in one word, the future of retail will be more human. It’s going local again. Everyone’s tired of the half marathon of going into a hypermarket or a big store, or of the coldness of e-commerce… Having a local store, run by someone from the community, that values the neighborhood — that’s becoming important again.”
In this sense, temporary stores have a big advantage: they take the brand to a new location and allow it to interact with the space and the people who pass through it.
Eric Winck, co-founder of AliceWonders, makes a similar point, saying that one of the main advantages temporary stores offer is reach — the ability to target more specific locations without making overly large investments.
“Instead of spending a lot of time renovating and running feasibility studies on a large space, you can have several smaller ones that target local niches and give you a reach you don’t get with just a few stores,” says Eric.
The tech museum built in the Ipiranga neighborhood of São Paulo, for example, which used a pop-up store format, was designed to promote a new building under construction, but also to tell the story of the neighborhood and invite local residents to learn about the project.
The result was a boost in sales: 80% of the development was sold in just five weeks. This is explained by how the experience allowed the brand to become part of the community and earn its trust.
Temporary stores can have many other applications across a wide range of markets and may be just the strategy you’re looking for if your goal is to build a closer relationship with your customers and deliver a memorable shopping experience.
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