Pop back soon
Darting their way from country to country since 2003, pop-up boutiques are steadily changing the international retailing landscape. But, as Assia Benmedjdoub asks, how can they contend with fully-fitted stores?
It's not often an endorsement from George Clooney and David Beckham will fail to push the sale of a pair of shoes. But that's exactly what happened when Spanish footwear label Kowalski - a brand worn by both celebrities - tried to establish a retail presence in the Australian market. With few traders offering to stock their range of men's and women's shoes, Kowalski Asia-Pacific director Rohan Burdett decided to take things into his own hands and open the company's first pop-up store.
"Everyone is looking for something new in retail and pop-up is a very clever way of introducing a new high-end product like Kowalski into a market where the retailers aren't prepared to take a risk," he says.
Pioneered in the US as an antidote to multinational clothing and footwear retailers, the stores offer consumers limited edition stock by restricting their operation to months, weeks or even days. But as Storeworks chief executive officer Martin Henry notes, permanent retailers can have the long-term advantage of providing customers with fully-fitted shopping environments.
"Every good business has identified its unique selling proposition and a large part of that is often presentation: everything from colour, signage and setup. This is where customised shop fittings come in from full on million dollar fit-outs down to small do-it-yourself renovations.
"The cost to fully fit-out pop-up stores is prohibitive if it's only for a short time and so they tend to be more at the value bargain end, although we do have products for both."
Offering economical solutions such as dump tables, collapsible racks, change rooms and freestanding systems, counters and showcases, Storeworks is one of the many providers looking to cater towards the new retail trend.
"It's the old adage; you have to dress for the success or the clients you want so if sufficient money is there and the location is available and high profile then pop-up stores can be very successful."
Along with these practical retail solutions, Flash Photobition's Peter Maddison says there are a selection of cost-effective graphic products on the market.
"We have a product called photoglass which is essentially a window graphics treatment. It gives stores like these a way to promote themselves at a minimal cost and can help to make them look more established by outfitting internal and external glass fixtures."
Not only digitally designed but also produced, Maddison says the process allows any image to be enhanced and impressed upon a glass surface including signs, logos and photographic images; providing an economic solution for temporary store signs.
Although the Kowalski boutique forwent any brand-new store additions, Burdett believes that by sourcing their fittings from furniture auctions, The Salvation Army and old shipping yards - for a total of $1000 - the store was able to retain its raw, youthful appeal.
"We were able to merchandise and promote the brand in a fitting manner for the Kowalski image," says Burdett. "We brainstormed everything that fitted with the brand and common themes emerged such as 'vintage inspired', 'retro', 'Spanish' and these were reflected in the fit-out.
"We added unique key pieces of retro furniture, lamps, rugs, wooden chairs, mustard velvet armchairs and the shelving was kept simple with rustic wooden planks taken from an old shipping ground.
"We also ran with the theme of having a shoe fetish and this can be seen by the five pieces of unique photographs suspended on the wall. By keeping the fit-out simple yet different, we had many customers commenting on how effective and intimate it made it."
Agreeing that concept is an effective marketing idea, Roger Sayers from Australian Retail Services warns pop-up stores should be careful when selecting and designing their in-store fittings and accessories.
"Pop-up stores are a great way for emerging designers to evaluate the local market without having to deal with the huge commitment of a five-year lease and a multimillion dollar fit-out. But the important thing to remember for mid to upper market brands is to place the label where the customer is. This means investing in some reasonable fixtures and fittings so that they don't cause irreparable damage to the brand's image."