19 Creative Pop-Up Shop Examples

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I’ll admit it — I’m slightly obsessed with pop-up shops. They’re usually a little quirky, fun, and have an air of exclusivity that puts my FOMO into overdrive.

But as a marketer, I also see the benefit of pop-ups from a business perspective. They enable consumers to get up close and personal with their favorite brands, driving awareness and interest in the process.

That said, pulling off a pop-up event is no easy feat. Here, we’ll discuss how to find the next big pop-up shop idea, how to run and market one effectively (from HubSpot’s Events team), and the 19 best pop-up event examples for inspiration.

Let’s dive in.

What is a pop-up shop?
Pop-up shop ideas
How to do a pop-up shop
Tips for Running and Marketing a Pop-Up Event, from HubSpot’s Events Team
Examples of pop-up shops fo r inspiration

Consumers love the lure of exclusivity, and brands love the unmatched opportunity for experimentation.

Pop-Up Shop Ideas

Your goals will dictate the type of pop-up experience you want to create and how you’ll implement it.

1. Temporary Retail Space

If you’re transitioning your business from online to brick-and-mortar, a pop-up shop is a way to simulate the retail experience and gain valuable insights into considerations such as operations and demand… without the risk of commitment and overhead.

2. One-Time Event

From my experience, an event-style pop-up — where the press and public can attend — generates a ton of buzz due to its fleetingness. By leveraging the exclusivity of the occasion, you can use the event to pique interest. Make it a party!

3. Immersive Experience

I like physical spaces because they give customers the opportunity to see, feel, and experience your brand. In my experience, the more you play to people’s senses, the more memorable the experience.

With that in mind, you can use your pop-up shop to provide a unique, immersive environment. That might mean interactive displays or other unexpected physical elements that add a wow factor.

How to Do a Pop-Up Shop

It’s an undertaking to pull off a successful pop-up, requiring a lot of planning, scouting, and marketing leading up to a launch. Here are the main steps you’ll want to consider as you set up:

1. Evaluate your goals and select a theme.

Are you testing the market for a more permanent location? Or are you generating buzz? Knowing your goals will help you determine what kind of space to look for, what type of pop-up shop to run (see above), what supplies to purchase, and how to market and operate it.