PANDEMIC CHANGES THE FACE OF POP UPS

The holiday season is here and it looks like it will be an unpredictable one! 

In a recent WWD article, Pop-Ups are highlighted as being one way the season can be saved:

"...pop-ups may once again be seen as a potential savior for real estate companies, many of whom are trying to navigate the double-whammy of empty storefronts and delayed or non-payment of rent from those retailers that remain."

As retail reopens around the U.S., pop-ups are popping up more than ever.

For the past few years, these temporary retail spaces were all the rage for companies seeking a relatively inexpensive way to test the brick-and-mortar waters. The strategy was so successful with both brands and landlords that pop-ups were pervasive on seemingly every street in urban areas around the country.

Then the pandemic hit and all retail locations were forced to close, including pop-ups. Now that brick-and-mortar sites have begun reopening, the landscape is markedly different. Consumers are still wary of going back to stores as the coronavirus continues to have a profound effect on the way we live our lives. Retailers have had to institute wide-scale changes in how they operate to convince customers that it’s safe for them to return — masks, gloves, Plexiglass shields, constant disinfecting of high-touch surfaces, and more.

 Guess CEO Jay Norris is featured in the article, noting that brands and retailers will be creating different concepts to see which best addresses the new way consumers want to shop.

“Retailers big and small will have to test it,” he said. “There’s a lot of merchandise out there and this is the great reset in terms of financial perspective, consumer behavior, and how we work and live."

Read the full article here: