Why Pop-Up Stores Are An Effective Team Building Strategy

When seeking to establish bonds between employees, what could be better than escape rooms, karaoke sessions or other activities that get them out of the office? A pop-up store!

Companies have everything to gain by giving their teams inter-departmental projects, because a collective challenge brings people together and gets everyone involved. Pop-up shops are too rarely considered as an effective internal format, but they are nevertheless perfectly suited for it in every way.

Here are 3 key ideas inspired by pop-up projects whose success came down to the collective efforts of a unified team.

1. Join Forces to Complete a Project in Record Time 

Before launching its “Color Garden” project, a 2-week pop-up store in the heart of the Marais, Clarins gathered its team together for an intense 24-hour period. It was their dedication and coordination that made this race against the clock a wholehearted success. “Getting every team involved was of vital importance for such a project,” explains Morgan Lefrancois, International Retail Director for the Clarins brand. Relying on the teamwork approach meant the pop-up store also helped strengthen the company’s internal cohesion.

2. Build a Viable Commercial Space Together

When the Sodexo Group in Paris decided to open a pop-up restaurant called “Signature,” it became “a perfect opportunity to challenge the team,” according to Sébastien Modat, Marketing Director at Sodexo. This project mobilized all internal resources at the company’s disposal: marketing, R&D and design, who were then charged with designing the space, transforming it from an empty space into a foodie haven. As a result, for Sodexo “The project was not just a communication operation or PR launch, but a genuine mobilization across our business!”

3. Group Learning Builds Flexibility

For Leroy Merlin, the pop-up store allowed them to open a DIY shrine at the heart of the Marais, so that they could better understand a new generation of home improvement enthusiasts – a demographic not previously loyal to the brand – and win them over. What’s more, Antony Guinvarch, the brand’s Product Manager, said that the project “was a genuine way for the team to increase their skills.” In fact, while big companies benefit from a large workforce and long-established skills base, they often lack the flexibility common to start-ups. The pop-up store is an ideal fix: it allows teams on site to get out of their comfort zone, show their creative side and try new things to make the project a success.

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