Pop Up Shops for Selling Jewellery
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Finding different avenues to sell your jewellery is key to growth as a jewellery designer. Not all of us are able to have a permanent retail space or be stocked with a retailer, so what about doing your own jewellery Pop Up Shop instead? Find out how below...
What is a Pop Up Shop?
I’m sure most of you have probably heard of them already, but for those who haven’t - a Pop Up Shop is a temporary retail/shopping event run by a small independent brand or business. The Pop Up will probably only run for a week or two (maybe even just a weekend) and will often utilise an empty retail space in a shopping centre or on the high street.
Why do a Jewellery Pop Up Shop?
As a jewellery designer and small business owner, it’s more than likely you have an online store. However, there’s nothing like having a physical retail space where potential customers pass by all of the time!
Not only that, but jewellery is such a tactile product and one that nearly all customers really want to touch, feel and try on before buying. So a Pop Up Shop is perfect for getting your customer to see and experience your jewellery in the best possible way.
Running a Pop Up Shop can have lots of benefits for your business too. Naturally it gives you visibility and exposure, helping you to build your brand awareness. It will help you gain new customers as well as provide you with the opportunity to listen to direct feedback that can help you learn which pieces of jewellery are most popular and why.
Other great reasons to run a Pop Up Shop include testing out new designs or collections before launching them ‘officially’ online or perhaps doing a ‘sample sale’ to sell off old stock or prototypes.
And finally, if you get it right in terms of location and timing, having a Pop Up Shop for a week or two hopefully means lots of sales!
How do I go about doing a Jewellery Pop Up Shop?
Firstly, you need to consider where you’d like to host your Pop Up Shop. It’s probably sensible to choose somewhere you know very well or somewhere close to home to start with. Location is key - it’s all about footfall. Think carefully about whether the location is right for your brand too.
Alongside this decision you need to think about when might be a good time - in the run up to Christmas? Or perhaps just before Valentines Day? Maybe in the summer holidays coinciding with a big event nearby?
Make sure your timing is good for the best opportunity for sales!
Then you’ll need to think about what type of space would be right for you - do you just want to rent shelf space within a store? Or would you like to take on a small retail premise all by yourself? Think about how much work it will require and how much you are prepared to do. If you decide to go for a unit solely for yourself, try to find a space which requires minimal effort that might already have shelves or stands, is clean and therefore a nice blank canvas. Or consider sharing the space with other makers who have products that sit well with yours.
Working on a pop up shop with others is more fun than on your own!
You’ll also need to think about how much stock you have and whether you can fill the space you’re looking for. As a jeweller you’re products are small, so unless you have a lot of stock or great display ideas it’s very hard to fill a big space.
Once you’ve decided on a space and agreed your fees, be sure to check through all of the landlords terms and conditions. Ensure you know exactly what they’re providing for the fee and what you’ll be expected to pay on top off the lease fee (electricity/wifi etc) as part of your agreement.
Finally, when it comes to the big day - you will be responsible for the set up, running and take down of your Pop Up Shop, including window dressing, and everything you might need to make your Pop Up experience awesome - such as display busts, stands, decor, propping and even lighting.
How to find a Pop Up Space…
Pop Up Shops have been going for quite some time now and have become a regular feature in most towns or cities. So there are quite a few different online companies providing a letting service for pop ups now.
In the UK:
In the USA:
In Australia:
http://popupshopsaustralia.com/
You should also look locally on a smaller scale too. Sometimes it’s worth trying to approach letting agents about empty units on the high street or shopping malls with empty units.
Things to consider…
Make sure you do your research on your location, what kind of footfall you’re going to get, whether your customer will be passing by etc. Have similar brands had success at this location?
The costs involved, make sure you’ve scoped out everything you’ll need to pay for and know whether you can really afford it e.g. paint, display props, furniture, lighting, lease costs, wifi costs, merchant costs, food & drink etc. Be sure to clarify what’s included in your lease agreement.
Make sure you’re insured properly and fully understand the legalities of your contract with the vendor.
Who will man the pop up, will you need help? Don’t forget you’ll need to take a break at some point through the day.
Are there facilities nearby or provided at the unit - toilet and kitchen area?
Security - will your stock be secure in the day and overnight, are lockable cabinets provided? Is there an alarm on the unit, or will you need to take them home with you each night? Be careful not to invalidate your jewellers insurance.
If hiring a unit by yourself is to big a project, you could always create a collective with a few other small designer makers who have complimentary products that could sit alongside your jewellery?
Useful information
There’s lots of useful information on how to set up a pop up shop out there, here’s a useful article from the Guardian.
https://www.theguardian.com/small-business-network/2013/sep/17/best-advice-pop-up-shops
Have you had a Pop Up Shop experience? Or are you hoping to set one up? If so do come and share about it in the comments section below.
And if you are looking to grow your business get your free downloadable 'Guide to Jewellery Business Growth' you can get your copy and start working on it straight away on the link below.
Until next time, Happy Making xx