Introduction
A digital pop-up store is a mini shop that can be visualized on an established e-commerce store. The pop-up shop is seen as a collection of products that are available for a restricted duration, and is ideal for encouraging sales of limited-edition items, seasonal items, or items recommended by an influencer.
The objective of a digital pop-up store is to create new experiences within your existing environment, thereby giving customers a new outlook of your brand. Keep in mind, your pop-up shop should have elements of newness, buzz-worthiness and practicality if you want it to succeed.
Why it matters?
- Pop-up stores give companies the opportunity to connect with consumers with the help of technology such as interactive digital signage.
- Brands can directly target their customers without having to go through mediators, resulting in a data-rich, direct-sales kind of environment.
- Retailers can expand their reach and also combine their e-commerce capabilities by establishing such mini-stores online.
During the pandemic, the e-commerce industry has seen a rapid growth, being complemented with technological opportunities creating an ideal environment to targeted and experiment with pop-up stores as a means for brands and retailers to connect with customers.
Gavin Bradley, an expert in creating retail marketing experiences for multinational brands such as Samsung and General Electric pointed out that “pop-ups are going to become a marketing necessity in the future”.
How digital signage can be used in this context?
Digital pop-up shops can be introduced with the help of outdoor digital signage. Wherever retailers can find some space to put up a large LED sign, a pop-up store can be incorporated in there. By making the LED signage interactive, consumers can pause for a few minutes and browse through an entire store just by accessing this digital display.
Digital pop-up shops can be placed in high foot traffic areas on busy streets or as indoor led signage in shopping malls. This is a much cheaper option than putting up an entire store, can reach a large target market, generates awareness, useful in increasing sales, and can be either a short term idea (few days) or could last longer – for a few months.
How it enhances customer experience
The onset of 5G technology has been a significant contribution in allowing pop-ups to succeed with extensive data analytics capabilities. Brands can create customized experiences for shoppers who visit pop-ups with the help of QR codes and app downloads. By hyper-customizing shopping experiences like this, brands can represent a new marketing frontier to promote their products and hold onto customer attention more effectively than with a TV advertisement.
Interactive touch screens, location tracking and self-checkout LED displays can also be incorporated in pop-up shops to help to create enhanced experiences for customers and boost sales.
How pop-up retailers are benefitting from this
Retailers can rent temporary digital spaces to create digital pop-ups with ease and simplicity to offer their customers a more dynamic experience and ensure consistency across all online and physical presence. Additionally, when you own an online space, you can generate revenue by renting out advertising space on your pop-up store.
Pop-up stores are becoming very popular amongst online brands and small businesses who are determined to have a strong physical presence but do not have the assets to commit to technological investments that attract consumers. By partnering with digital media revenue platforms, they can access digital solutions to dramatically enhance the aesthetics of their pop-up location.
