“Pop-up shops” offer short term shop owning
When it comes to small scale local retail, Milwaukeeans really seem to be making a go of it. First we heard about Small Shops United and now we hear about a Milwaukee mall becoming home to a series of pop-up shops.
In essence, a "pop-up shop" opens in a vacant retail venue, be it in a mall or other kind of shopping district, for a limited amount of time – a day or two, or a few weeks or longer. The term is used to describe bigger business operations like those Halloween super stores might appear in October and then vanish on November 1, but it’s also used for smaller, more creative endeavors.
In Milwaukee's case, a mall called The Shops of Grand Avenue is offering short term leases on vacant retail space – 3 month, 6 month, and 1 year lease terms, starting at $100 per month. Artists, designers, crafters, and other vendors are invited to collaboratively rent the space and set up a rotating lineup of wares. Hopefully, shoppers will be interested to see what's new in the space, while would-be shop owners get a chance to test the waters. And, of course, building owners can fill up empty storefronts, if even for a short period of time.
Tracy Korpela, the marketing and specialty leasing director for Milwaukee’s program, told OnMilwaukee.com that pop-up stores can "brighten vacant spaces, encourage local retail opportunities, and inject creative life into districts." Although pop-up shops are often seen in struggling malls, the concept has been tested in plenty of downtown-style and neighborhood settings.
The idea seems like it would be attractive to local people who'd rather not deal with a consignment situation, or to people who are selling something that just doesn't fit into their town's existing set of consignment shops.
One more idea for Chippewa Vallians to ponder.
