Pictures: Conran Shop Pop-up Project

Conran Opens Pop-up Store

The concept of pop-up shops is perhaps better known in the boutique end of the retail industry, where small-scale retailers use the buzz of being only able to buy at a store for a limited time to sell their wares. Now, though, it looks like established retailers are starting to embrace the concept, or at least explore the possibilities it has to offer.
Design guru and owner of the Conran Shop Sir Terence Conran opened up a pop-up store in west London at the end of March,which he intended to operate for only seven weeks.

Pictures: Conran Shop Pop-up Project

Pitching to a Specific Age Group

According to Conran Shop head of marketing Liam Butler, the store was opened for two main reasons: to engage younger shoppers and to merchandise a specific product line, the Well Considered range.
A hand-picked store team and manager were chosen to demonstrate a passion for the product to consumers who were new to Conran Shop products. The store was publicised by a range of through the line and digital marketing campaigns, a competition to win £500 to spend in the store and donation pledge to the White Ribbon Alliance, a motherhood charity. The store also offered style surgeries to customers at the weekends.

Pictures: Conran Shop Pop-up Project

Keeping the Set-Up Simple

The focus on one range of products simplified pricing and merchandising for the store, because they were already integrated into the range. Similarly, packaging and logistics were also discrete processes, keeping planning to a minimum.
The project has gone well so far, according to Butler, but there are no plans to roll out any other pop-up stores in other locations.

Pictures: Conran Shop Pop-up Project

Location is Anything But Random

The store is situated in the Westfield Shopping Centre in Shepherd's Bush -- what might euphemistically be called an up-and-coming area in west London, but close to richer areas such as Kensington and Notting Hill. The shopping centre opened very shortly before the retail industry started to retrench and has struggled to fill all its units. Having Conran's pop-up store store has doubtless helped its prestige as a shopping destination and filled what might otherwise been an empty unit.
The Conran Shop benefited from association with store brands favoured by young shoppers it has been targeting.