The Fast Lane
A new concept in retail is popping up all over.
Don't wait too long to visit one of Russell Miller's
stores. It probably won't be around for long. Miller, 36, is
the founder of Vacant, a leader of the "here today, gone
tomorrow" pop-up retail craze. His 4-year-old, four-person
company opens "guerrilla stores" in cities around the
world for anywhere from two weeks to a month or so, hawking
hard-to-find items ranging from apparel to action figures.
"We search all over the world for the unusual to bring to
our stores," explains Miller, whose business has grown 60
percent during the past year. "We work with emerging brands as
well as big manufacturers, but we help them come up with unique
stuff. And we don't tell people until a few days before we
open."
Cindy Smith, vice president of The EGC Group, a marketing and advertising firm
in Hicksville, New York, says the pop-up retail concept can easily
translate to smaller retailers as a way to make a splash in a new
market or create seasonal sales boosts.
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Can't afford short-term space? Smith suggests taking 20
killer items and renting a kiosk at a local mall or even at a
festival that attracts a lot of people. She also recommends
publicizing a bit more aggressively than Vacant does: "Be sure
that you're in a high-traffic location, or be sure to spend the
money to let people know you're there and doing something
different."