Keep Austin Weird: Pop-Up at Unique Retail Store

“Keep Austin Weird” is an interesting slogan to have for a city. Usually people want to promote the fact that they are a normal, highly functioning individual that does perfectly appropriate activities on their leisure time so don’t think they’re abnormal, please and thank you very much.

The Austin culture is an amalgamation of all things weird. But in the best way possible. Put it this way, if Austin was a person, they would be the most delightful version of weird. The type of person who makes you want to hang out with them just to try and figure out why the hell they are so awesome, and hope some of it rubs off on you.

The city is dynamic. It is young, it is alive, and it is certainly weird. Business suits fuel up on coffee Downtown, longhorn symbols and orange dominate slightly North near The University of Texas, and on South Congress live music and cowboy boots unite in both a perfect dichotomy, and off-kilter symmetry.

Retail is just as diverse, and complementary in Austin’s various neighborhood segments. South Congress embodies Austin culture at its finest. Western-wear shops stand adjacent to tie-dye havens and BBQ joints.

Within this cluster is Co-Star Austin. This retail outlet is the perfect embodiment of marketing towards the Austin culture. In conjunction with its sister store Maya Star; Co-Star targets the consumer segment who craves high style in an accessible format. Co-Star offers men’s and women’s elevated, urban consigned labels within the same environment as local and emerging brands.

This business plan creates a one-stop shop for the Austin target market to purchase elevated designer consignment labels including Chanel, Halston, Gucci and YSL, with current labels Splendid, Equipment, Wildfox and Vince, and alongside premium denim lines Paige, J Brand, Joe’s Jeans and AG Jeans.

Both tourists and locals alike congregate on this popular shopping avenue, making Co-Star’s location a prime real estate option for a pop-up shop venture.

Currently, Co-Star has opened up part of its retail store for a pop-up shop collaboration. Emerging brands can benefit from both Co-Star’s premium location positioning, and its pricing strategy of housing luxury labels at an accessible price.

In addition, the store’s aesthetic, store layout and visual merchandising doesn’t read traditional consignment store. The look melds Austin’s quirky personality with a contemporary industrial layout. Neon signs are a blaze fixed atop sparse exposed brick walls, and an ever-changing cinema marquee that displays point of sale featured items with a catchy slogan.

Co-Stars vibrant atmosphere attracts consumers like a moth to a flame. The owners encourage unique brands to utilize the space as they see fit, and even have props on hand to assist with your vision.

Exciting events like South by Southwest are a constant in Austin’s culture, and opening up a pop-up shop is the perfect way to insert yourself in its welcoming and yes, weird atmosphere.