The Pop-Up Store Could Be the Right Way to Go for Your Retail Store
You might have an online store or sell your items through eBay or Etsy, but you just might have enough customers to try your hand at a brick-and-mortar store. Instead of hedging your bets on a long-term lease in a mall or in your local area, it might be a good idea to start your physical store route with a pop-up store at first.
High Rent in Malls
While rents in local stores situated along main streets and busy shopping areas might be a more ideal location rent-wise, you might not get the same amount of foot traffic you would in a mall. However, along with those high-density numbers of potential customers comes the cost of high rent in mall locations. If you want to try a mall location for your new physical store, then a pop-up location might work better. The rents for shorter-term leases and seasonal stores tend to be less, so you won't be spending too much to try your idea out.
Change Locations
A lot of malls have space that other retailers have left vacant. If you are unsure whether your store would do well in one location rather than another, a pop-up store can give you a pretty good idea of the customer flow at one location over another. You could open a shop for a couple of weeks or even a few days at one mall and then open at a different location in a few months time to get a picture of where might be the better spot for a permanent store should you choose to have one.
Just for Seasonal
Depending on what you sell in your online store, a physical location might not translate well over long periods of time. You will definitely not bring in the same amount of profit unless you are a larger retailer. If your items are best sellers during seasonal periods, such as the summer months, Christmas, or Mother's Day, for example, then a pop-up store might be the way to go to enhance the sales you already have online with in-person sales at the mall or other retail location.
Promotions
If you are looking for a unique way to promote new items or much-anticipated items coming into your online store, then a pop-up location is a great way to grab attention. Many musicians have used the pop-up idea to promote their new music, and you can use their strategy if you are selling a brand-new line of clothing, makeup, or even just opening up a new online store. This will get people interested, and the word will spread about you.