PopUp Republic

Farmers Markets

These makeshift markets make for an inviting space in which to exhibit and sell goods, especially on a part-time or temporary basis. Costs are drastically reduced—some spaces can be rented for under $50 a day or as a percentage of sales—and there is built-in shopper foot traffic, as these settings themselves are considered destinations and events with time sensitivities, since many are open only once a week or for a short duration.

Farmers markets, flea markets, and art/craft fairs are also perfect for “one item” sales. If you wrote a book, or you sell pickles, you probably would not be well-served to open a store, even a pop-up store, selling just one title or selling only pickles (even if your product lines include different kinds of pickles). But you might have the most popular booth at a temporary market where shoppers are looking for curiosities or hard-to-find, locally created products.

Public Spaces

Shopping malls are now capitalizing on another new realization—they are sitting on acres of land that are producing no income. The common areas inside the mall might look nice, and the parking lots might accommodate the needs of shoppers, but they produce no revenue and provide a fair amount of upkeep.

But no longer. Now, shopping centers and big box stores are looking at their common areas as spaces from which to generate incremental income. They have become the home to food truck festivals, food crawls, farmers and flea markets, and other public events ...