By Kacey Bradley
Just over a decade ago, the idea of brick-and-mortar shops began to change. Instead of investing in one permanent location for their businesses, brand owners moved their store around as often as they liked through their pop-up shops.
The idea of pop-up stores is still relatively new, but is becoming more popular each passing year. People of all ages want to stop by and check out what’s on offer when a new store appears, which provides tons of opportunities to the shop and who they partner with.
Hotels are jumping on board this trend by opening pop-up stores in their lobbies. Read on to learn how any hotel can operate a pop-up store and how to gain a competitive advantage over those that already do.
1. Rotate Types of Shops
What’s most appealing about pop-up shops is the element of surprise. People typically don’t know when the shop will open and what it will sell.
That’s something hotel brands can grab onto. Research businesses that have shops your guests may be interested in. Five-star hotels may lean more toward specialty or high-end shops, whereas family-centered hotels would do better with shops for kids or family activities.
Consider the guests who stay most frequently at a hotel to determine which kinds of shops they’d be interested in. After connecting with those kinds of shops, rotate them throughout the year so the surprise factor still exists, even when guests associate that hotel brand with pop-up shops.
2. Create a Marketing Plan
The element of surprise is crucial, but so is a dedicated marketing plan. Pop-up shops rely on social media for their marketing. It draws in natural foot traffic and spreads news quickly. Advertise the upcoming mystery pop-up shop to create the online hype they require to turn out large audiences.
An online strategy will help draw in more non-guests who will later remember their pop-up shop experience and associate that with the hotel brand, becoming more likely to choose that brand over others. They’ll want to repeat the experience of discovering a new shop, especially if they can do it at any of the hotel’s locations.
3. Think About Your Lighting
For a pop-up shop to be successful, there should be a focus on specific details more than others. The shop’s owner will know how to present their wares best, but hotels can create a proper lighting setup to ensure the most success. Ambient lighting and decorative lighting will provide very different settings that may benefit or hurt the success of the pop-up shop.
4. Expect New Guests’ Needs
Current guests may take the elevator down to the pop-up store, but it will likely pull in more new guests than current ones. Think about what those folks will need as they shop. People will notice if the only goal is to make a profit. If they don’t feel welcome, they’re less likely to make a purchase or return for future offerings.
Switch up the hotel’s amenities to offer more seating for customers. If the hotel has a restaurant, alter the main menu for more grab-and-go options for people who want to browse the shop and then head out. The extra effort will impress newcomers and potentially turn them into long-term customers.
5. Make New Connections
The most significant benefit for the hotels that rent space to pop-up shops is the opportunity to make new connections. Keep in contact with the brands and partners related to the shops to establish future business
