WHY POP-UP STORES ARE ALL THE RAGE

 
Pop-up stores are all the rage these days. From the likes of the famed Paris boutique Colette and mega-retailer Target – who both operated highly successful temporary shops in New York City to coincide with high profile events like Fashion Week – to major luxury brands like Hermes, Louis Vuitton and Chanel, everyone seems to be opening pop-up stores to generate buzz and make extra sales. 
 
 
Hermes, for one, has revealed that they are looking into three or four temporary locations this year, including in Europe. This news follows the temporary location (four weeks last February and March) of Azzaro, who operated a pop-up store on London’s Mount Street. Azzaro is now looking into opportunities in the south of France this summer.  
 
 
Louis Vuitton opened a pop-up shop last winter in Tokyo in light of their collaboration with Comme des Garçons’ Rei Kawakubo and they are looking to do the same thing again.  They have also operated a pop-up shop in Brooklyn to coincide with the Louis Vuitton Murakami exhibit.
 
In early 2009, Yves Saint Laurent opened pop-up boutiques in New York and Hong Kong to showcase its Edition Unisex capsule collection and Chanel’s first pop-up store hit back in 2007 within the Tokyo store Restir, and once again last year at London’s Dover Street Market. 
 
So far the pop-up shop tactic seems to be working.  It’s a sure-fire way for a big-name brand to generate buzz and get its name in the press. Many of the aforementioned temporary locations have attracted throngs of shoppers. Colette’s collaboration with GAP, in particular, generated lines around the block.
 
Now comes news that Maria Cornejo, who has lived in Paris for nearly 10 years, will see her pop-up store, Zero + Maria Cornejo, and exhibition open at the Brachfeld Gallery in Paris (78 rue des Archives in the Marais neighborhood), on June 20 (through July 11). 
 
 
This pop-up store comes after a two-year absence for Cornejo. The true impact of these boutiques given the economy remains to be seen, but one thing is for certain – location is the key.
 

Trending


X