Many firms both large and small have been making the most of pop up shops. These novel retail ideas are a great way for companies to promote themselves, launch new product or service ideas, connect with consumers and so on.
One major enterprise now taking advantage of such temporary outlets is Walmart. The firm claims to serve customers and members more than 200 million times per week at its 9,759 retail units in 28 countries. Founded in 1962, it now trades under 60 different banners and employs 2.1 million individuals.
Its two new pop up shops are based in California and it remains to be seen if it will enter into similar initiatives in the UK.
The test stores carry the Walmart.com brand and stock a variety of electronics and toys. They feature display tables that shoppers can use to order products from the company’s website and the outlets will remain open until the end of this year.
Commenting on the idea, the business stated it is “just another way to give our customers that continuous experience, bringing together our stores and our brand through our ecommerce footprint”.
Meanwhile, the Financial Times quotes Keith Anderson, senior analyst at RetailNet Group, which was the first organisation to report on the stores, as saying: “The whole idea of using the physical store to drive online traffic is pretty interesting.”
He added: “There have been very short-term promotional pop-up stores, which are about driving awareness. Then there are pop-ups like Toys R Us’s that are about moving merchandise.”
Walmart’s pop up shops are based in the coastal cities of Los Angeles and San Diego in southern California. According to the Financial Times, its brand is not as visible in the areas as it is in many other parts of the US. This may be partly why the organisation chose to locate the pop up shops there.