Let’s face it, most company merch stores are bad. Why? Because they are littered with lowest common denominator branded products. This is because the stores lack agility, get quite stagnant, and fall behind the times. Should I go on?
Not to mention the costs associated with inventory management! Yikes.
Enter the Pop-Up Shop!
My favorite way to inject style, trends and fun to your company store. A cost-effective and effective alternative to the one-size-fits-all company merch store.
A Pop-Up Shop is a company store that is open for a limited amount of time, that holds no inventory and incurs minimal inventory management expenses.
Plus, it’s fun as heck.
As a bonus, your Pop-Up Shop is a real-time focus group! It lets your people pick what they want without the organization needing to commit to a long-term inventory solution.
I’ve been doing successful Pop-Up Shops for over 10 years, and so I thought it was time to share what makes one successful!
TIP #1) OPEN IT FOR A LIMITED AMOUNT OF TIME
Why is this important?
When something is only open for a specified window it accelerates the decision-making process. The shorter the window the faster you get orders. This creates scarcity that turns into urgency. This is important because with a Pop-Up shop you can’t commit to quantities of products until the window closes and you’ve gathered all the numbers. Keep that window narrow.
I think 7 days is the perfect amount.
TIP #2) PROMOTE YOUR POP-UP SHOP
Why is this important?
You must have a plan to promote it otherwise, how will they know it exists? Keep your bat signal in the sky for the duration of the window. A kick-off announcement e-mail, a halfway e-mail and a “Last Call!” e-mail is a simple and effective way to promote the Pop-Up Shop. If you have other channels to advertise your shop then you can utilize those as well.
TIP #3) LIMIT YOUR PRODUCT SELECTION
Why is this important?
The more products you add, the harder it will be to manage and minimum order quantities. Limiting your selection will curb your headaches and accelerate your orders. After all, it’s a Pop-Up Shop! You could always open another one in the future with totally new items. The possibilities are endless, and it gives you a chance to gather data on what folks are interested in.
Three unique product options is the most ideal selection for a Pop-Up Shop. This gives end-users more than a binary selection, but also limits stifling the decision making process.
TIP #4) ONLY SELECT ITEMS WITH HEALTHY STOCK
Why is this important?
When your Pop-Up Shop closes you want to be able to deliver the product you selected, right!? This is why selecting branded apparel or promotional branded products with adequate stock is imperative.
Supply chain issues have become something we are all are used to, but getting ahead of it will help simplify the process for you and ensure your products have a swift and successful delivery.
TIP #5) ORDER MORE THAN YOU NEED
Why is this important?
Even if you had everyone physically try on their polo, there is a good chance someone is going to want to trade for a different size once they receive it. Whether it is branded apparel, or other items, make sure to always order more than you need.
Worst Case Scenario: You have a handful of extra units.
Best Case Scenario: You can move quickly to eliminate any customer service inquiries without a hassle.
POP-UP SHOPS RULE!
As you can tell I’m pretty passionate about these fun limited-time Pop-Up Shops. Ready to get one started? Fill out this quick questionnaire and we’ll be in touch soon!
