PopUp Republic

Pop-Up Shops

Despite being a relatively new concept in the United States, pop-ups have actually evolved pretty drastically over the last few years. When the term “pop-up” first began being culturally accepted as a temporary retail or dining establishment, they often opened in vacant storefronts located primarily in major cities around the country. As soon as local economies started to struggle, economic development officials began searching for creative ways to utilize all types of space—people needed jobs, vacancies were at an all-time high, and with the development of online websites like Etsy, Pinterest, and eBay, “makers” and “collectors” were beginning to appear everywhere.

It makes sense that this led to the emergence of pop-ups in North America. As small designers began to open pop-ups in cities and towns throughout the country, large brands took notice. The first “big box” store that truly embraced the concept was Target. Because of its international presence, it didn’t need to use pop-ups as a means to test new markets; rather, it saw that consumers were responding to small, locally handmade products and brands, and it began renting out portions of its stores across the country to independent designers who created complementary offerings. Dubbed “The Shops at Target,” this series appeared in more than 100 stores throughout North America during the holidays of 2013. This was the first occurrence of what has been a drastic pivot by large chain stores. Gone are the days ...