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Are Pop-Up Stores Over?

Hotel partnerships, trunk shows and on-campus activations on upswing, fashion pub reports

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Fashion trunk shows are growing in popularity. Photo: JRLPhotographer/iStock by Getty Images

Rising rents and low vacancy rates have made it prohibitively pricey for many emerging brands to open retail locations — even temporary ones, Business of Fashion reports. To counter those obstacles, a growing number of retailers are ditching pop-ups and pursuing creative, lower-cost ways to reach their consumers.

“… There’s a reason so many brands rushed to open pop-ups in previous years: creating a physical space that reflects a label’s vision is a compelling form of marketing, particularly when compared to social media ads and sponsored influencer posts,” the BoF report notes. “When done well, a pop-up could even get customers to do a brand’s marketing for it, in the form of in-store selfies and word-of-mouth.”

And now, “Some brands are finding creative ways to produce that real-life magic on a budget. Petite Plume’s strategy of popping up in unexpected locations is one approach. Trunk shows and launch parties give people the opportunity to meet a brand’s founder over free champagne while they shop. Major events provide another opportunity: spa tools line HigherDose sets up wellness lounges featuring its infrared recovery mats and sauna blankets at Coachella and Art Basel. Draper James, the clothing line founded by actress Reese Witherspoon, will set up shop inside Hilton’s Graduate Hotels in college towns during big football weekends.

In a similar vein, Loops Beauty hosts events with sororities and other clubs on college campuses.  “The stickiness with a customer is much greater when you’ve had a personal interaction,” Loops Beauty’s CEO told BoF. “It goes further than if it was just them buying our product at Target.”

Click here for the BoF report.

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