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LIMITED TIME ONLYAs the fast paced nature of life begins to manipulate shopping

habits, many on-the- go shoppers are turning to pop-up shops to get the latest and exclusive trends.

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H ere today, gone tomorrow — it’s a phrase that conveys the

newest shopping trend; one that is sweeping away the traditional norms that many shoppers rely on. Pop-up retail—also known as flash retailing—refers to the opening of short-term spaces to typically take advantage of the best trends or seasonal products to sell.

“The pop-up concept continues to evolve as a greater variety of companies embrace experimental and whimsical approaches to retail,” a Zady article said.

Pop-up shops are the newest and most exclusive way to get ahold of those perfect jeans or lightweight jacket that not many people will have access to. Aside from fashion, these shops have also seen the likes of Coca-Cola, Godiva and many other brands looking to get some seasonal shoppers intrigued by their products.

Business Insider’s take on the trend is that, “they’re cheaper solutions than year-round rentals, and they can generate a lot of buzz for companies during essential months.” The trending shops can be found anywhere from as far East as New York to California’s coast, but why are they so popular now?

The outlets that many consumers rely on to fulfill their shopping desires produce only as fast as the gears of media and

fashion turn. With that in mind, it’s no wonder these spontaneous and buzzing shops have begun to take the world by storm. In the past, on-the- go shoppers looked to online shopping when the brick-and- mortar environments of most malls collapsed.

History may repeat itself, pushing the awe of online shopping to the back of shopper’s minds and making pop-up shops their new focal point. Although they don’t have to be strictly fashion companies showing off their products, the ones who have thus far are making a huge step into what may be the future of shopping.

Reebok opened up a shop in 2008 that took everything the average shopper might think of their company and delivered the opposite. They took 3,000 square feet to develop the ultimate temporary store, FLASH, for shoppers to purchase their shoes and clothing for the minimal time they were open.

Freshness Magazine wrote, “what differentiates FLASH from pop-up stores we typically see is the thoughtfulness Reebok has put into the project.” Another sneaker shop taking the trend to new heights is Nike.

Their company opened a shop just last year that collaborated with Kith—owned by Ronnie Fieg—in which they sold rare sneakers and casual street-wear

“THEY CAN GENERATE A LOT OF BUZZ FOR COMPANIES DURING ESSENTIAL MONTHS.”

BUSINESS INSIDER

BY COLLEEN HOWARDPHOTOS BY PROVIDED

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from within. Their spontaneous venture into the pop-up shops led Fieg’s success to an all-time high when GQ Magazine named him the King of Sneakers.

Even the globally known corporation that is Target developed a seasonal shop

around the holidays in 2015 to accommodate the needs of the always adapting shopper. Their idea was to offer, “more in-store experience for special merchandising and making it easy for customers to shop,” as explained by Fortune on their

“Wonderland” themed shop. So as the fame of these shop’s owners reigned in, there were, of course, critics who began bashing the hype that came with them.

The social media guru, Kylie Jenner, has tested the waters with a few pop-up shops

making everything from the announcement of their location, to her in-person meetings with customers an exciting experience.

The critics of her shops point out the glaring flaws to some of her overlooked details. One writer for Cosmopolitan spent a

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whole morning trying to score even a peek into Kylie’s shop, dodging the piles of trash around the busy New York City street and enduring the long lines in the cold weather; she ultimately left the line without entry.

Another pop-up shop that received a criticism from Highsnobiety’s website was the famously run “The Life of Pablo” brand that Kanye West revealed in over 21 cities last year. The major flaw that people disclosed was the uniformity of the brand across

his shops. The clear issue was a result of the idea that pop-up shops are meant to be unique, spontaneous and full of limited-time items for consumers to get at the right time and place.

Although they are still working out the kinks, companies that have ventured into continuing the development of the pop-up shop trend deserve credit for the change in consumer shopping habits. It is these proactive and socially aware companies that are paving the way for the future of the fashion industry and its consumers.

SALELIMITED EDITION

POP-UP

“IT IS THESE PROACTIVE AND SOCIALLY AWARE COMPANIES THAT ARE PAVING THE WAY FOR THE FUTURE OF THE FASHION INDUSTY AND ITS CONSUMERS.”