Launching a temporary pop up shop is undoubtedly one of the most effective routes for brand promotion and customer engagement. Some of the many great reasons for doing this include opportunity for brand experimentation in terms location, visual themes and design, being cost-effective, and relating to this time of the year, getting the most out of shopping seasons!
Pop up shops align well with social events and holiday seasons as the festive environment is likely inspire curiosity and draw people into trying new things. We have recently taken a tour of pop up spaces the beauty industry has to offer in London and narrowed them down to three of our favorites that are definitely worth the trip if you can make it!
Huda Beauty
If you happened to walk through Covent Garden at all this month, you probably would have noticed the Huda Beauty pop up shop as the striking set up stands out in a way that’s nearly impossible to miss! The recent launch of Huda’s Mercury Retrograde eye-shadow palette was the inspiration behind the outer space theme of their display. The brand’s initial promise of transporting us to another galaxy was well delivered and began right from the entrance. The outside view of the shop is a large rectangle box covered in synthetic stalagmites resembling a crystal cave. The closed-off cave structure prevents even a glimpse of the actual shop until you are led inside which in a way makes the experience feel exclusive. The inside takes you into a new and exciting intergalactic world of glittery and bright neon colours along with Huda’s cult favorites and best-selling products. You can expect a colourful and bubbly energy that seems to be very directed towards a young crowd. In addition all the attention on the Mercury Retrograde palette, you can look forward to a selection of some of her new and rare limited edition pieces!
Glossier
Also held in Covent Garden, the popular cult brand has temporarily brought their shop to London, which consists of their 2nd biggest fan base! You can visit the pop up shop on 13 floral street in no rush as they are here to stay until the 9th of February. Inspired by traditional British social clubs, the retro floral pattern hand-drawn wallpaper covering the interior changing colour scheme in each of the five rooms provide the shop with the intended effect in, CEO and founder of Glossier, Emily Weiss’s words “looking at the city through Glossier-coloured glasses”. The very last room of the shop exhibits the top of a building known as the Glossier Rooftop that Weiss explains is designed to pay homage to London’s iconic skyline.” There seemed to be quite a lot of focus on embracing the city’s culture which was a nice effort to engage with their London based community as well as tourists who are looking for experiences with relevance to the city. The creation was well thought through from the general theme to smaller, yet relevant, details such as seating areas to positive affirmations on the walls that bring an inviting atmosphere to the space. Sizable cues outside the shop are quite expected; in addition to their substantial following, the pop up serves as an opportunity for London based consumers to actually test their products first. You can even go and stock up on your favorites or holiday gifts by taking advantage of their shop discount offers!
Gallinée
Gallinée is a relatively new and unique vegan-friendly French skincare brand that formulates its products with a strong foundation of innovative strategies and advanced research. Most are familiar with the health benefits of probiotics in terms of consumption, but awareness regarding cosmetics is lacking as the concept is still quite new to beauty, and Gallinée is at the forefront of probiotic skincare. They have temporarily opened a pop up shop for a week from the 9th of December in Shoreditch, 30 Redchurch Street. The shop’s space consists of a small and very classy layout; the set up is placed in a typical clean looking minimal white room that compliments their product display. Staff are friendly and more than happy to introduce you to the world of probiotic skincare, microbiome and sustainable beauty. Testing the range is encouraged and you can expect to receive a free sample of their popular Youthful Serum packed with probiotics and lactic acid. From ready or personalised sets to individual products, they are offering their best selling products at a 25% discount.
Temporary retail is a fun way to play with ideas and see how consumers respond before possibly expanding on your brand as well as just being an interesting way to encourage consumer interaction and help your brand stand out during shopping seasons.
If you could launch a pop up shop tomorrow, what kind of theme would you choose?
