To ensure pop-up shop success, retailers must find the right location, create the right message and adapt the right technology. Retail stores left and right are all integrating the latest tech and digital initiatives to keep their stores thriving and pop-up shops must do the same to stay in the game.
We’ve listed out four ways to integrate technology and digital creativity into your pop-up shop.
- Interactive Fitting Rooms and More
The Next Big Thing, a pop-up shop created by Marie Claire, Neiman Marcus and Mastercard teamed up to showcase digital and tech enhancements within the retail space. Clarins skincare headlined the beauty section where they used technology to create a personalized skin-care experience for each customer. A virtual mirror (see above) took a picture of each customer’s face and instantly identified potential skin concerns and recommend creams and serums based on their specific skin type and skin issues. Customers were able to receive feedback and recommendations on the spot, creating an engaging experience.
Next to the beauty space were racks of clothes and interactive fitting rooms. Each fitting room was equipped with a smart mirror, which allowed customers to search for different colors and sizes, or select new items. Forget about having to go back into the store or finding someone to assist, customers could simply enter what they want on the screen and never leave the fitting room. The mirror detects the RFID tag on the clothes they brought in and lists them on the interactive screen. Once they’ve made up their mind, they can check out from the fitting room, elsewhere in the store, or at home with the Marie Claire mobile app. And for customers who love window shopping, the shop featured a giant touchscreen on the outside shop window. This allowed passersby or curious customers to browse what’s inside the shop without actually placing a foot inside.
- RFID technology
Pop-up shops are not just for people. The lovely folks at Bark & Co made that official when they launched a pop-up event for one week in NYC. The shop allowed dogs and their owners to come inside and experience a dog toyland. It was the world’s first retail experience where dogs do the shopping. The pups were fitted with RFID-enabled vests, which tracked the toys they played with the most, which monitored the dogs to see which toys are their favorite. Owners were able to view and purchase their dogs’ favorite toys directly from the event’s custom mobile app. Bark & Co had chewy treats on hand for the dogs to enjoy while they played around.
- Pop-up stores and Smart Products
The WIRED store presented by Genesis popped up in both Los Angeles and NYC. The luxury-focused pop-up store offered tech-savvy consumers and digital enthusiasts the opportunity to experience the future of connected life with the smartest devices to transition your day-to-day. The NYC pop-up strategically opened around the holiday season last December at the popular Brookfield Place. The Genesis G80 Sport took center stage alongside a selection of other smart, connected products. Guests can use Google Home or an iPad pro to interact with the G80’s standard Genesis Connected Services technology.
The pop-up store allowed guests to experience exclusive demos of the Genesis app for Google Assistant and how the app allows you to control various functions of the vehicle with simple voice commands. The Assistant will even locate and send destinations directly to the Genesis navigation system. Allowing consumers to test smart technology in a highly populated shopping area is the right approach to drive awareness of a product.
- Virtual Reality
JCPenney experimented with virtual reality to extend it’s holiday pop-up shop to reach more than just the customers who stopped in. The physical store was temporary but the brand created an online replica that allowed customers globally the opportunity to browse the shop using 360-video or virtual reality. The store was designed with festive decor and gift ideas curated by influencers. The virtual experience allowed anyone to immerse themselves into the space and the influencers promoted the virtual shop on their social channels which allowed the brand to reach a larger audience. Virtual reality has become a strong channel to reach more users and incorporating VR into your pop-up allows you to increase digital engagement and excitement.
Pop-up store technology offers brands the perfect opportunity to bring custom digital marketing to the physical space. It’s a way to engage consumers which will ultimately foster brand awareness and loyalty. The experience on-site should be exciting and adding digital elements will only further spread the word and the hype about the pop-up shop.
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