Pop-Up Shops: Here Today, Gone Tomorrow

Recent years have seen the increase in popularity of pop-up shops as solutions for landlords in need of cash flow. Retailers like pop-ups as a chance to test the waters before signing a long-term lease or to sell seasonal merchandise. Pop-up shops began to take hold during the 2008 recession, when retail vacancies were high and landlords became more open to alternative leasing structures. For the small business owner, pop-up shops provide an opportunity to see how their goods fare and how much foot traffic there is around their store. For established larger retailers, pop-up shops provide a unique or seasonal marketing boost as demonstrated by Patagonia, Kate Spade and Toys R Us, among many others. For the landlord, a pop-up shop can serve as a quick fix until a longer-term tenant can be secured.