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Pop-up Retail

Generating success for (RM)U!

Retail Merchandising Units (RMUs) are small, sometimes portable, retail spaces that tend to be located in indoor shopping mall passageways. They can be as simple as a table or stall, with others taking the form of a pod, hand-cart, marquee or semi-permanent secured structure.

RMUs are ideal for start-up businesses or online retailers looking to take their first steps in the physical world, providing a cost-effective way to trial the marketplace without the drawbacks of long-term leases. Their style, purpose and location will be dependent on both your business goals and objectives when branching into offline retail.

Times are changing, are you up-to-date?

It’s not new news that the high-street is changing. Retailers are gradually realising that brick-and-mortar stores, once the bastion of the industry, are increasingly cumbersome barriers to profitability. Large rental and maintenance costs, staff wages and the need to constantly ‘refresh the look’ leads to high overheads on the ground. Online is seemingly the way forward although that is not necessarily our view.

The world of RMUs, including pop-up shops and modular installations is, however, bucking the trend. These innovative ways of promoting and selling your product or service are becoming increasingly popular. Whether you’re a start-up business, expanding franchise, seasonal operator, online-only provider or well-known brand; mall and particularly RMU retailing can prove a worthwhile investment.

Access Point has 20 years’ experience in managing RMUs and similar services in locations across the UK. Our extensive knowledge enables us to select the right place for your business, maximising awareness, engagement and sales.

The Pop-up Top-up

Pop-up shops are a great way to top-up your brand awareness, customer base and ultimately, your bottom line.

Pop-up shops have exploded in the retail sector and are only increasing in popularity. Pop-up shops reflect the purpose of RMUs; to increase brand awareness, generate positive PR, educate customers and provide a short-term retail opportunity to test new markets and drive sales. They differ from RMUs in that they are typically more easily identifiable with an established brand.

Pop-up shops often take one of two forms. ‘In-line location’ shops are existing vacant units in a retail space that can be leased on a short-term basis. Alternatively, a pop-up shop can be a short-term structure in a pedestrian area, car park, mall walkway or public space. Similar to RMUs, pop-up shops are designed to intercept consumers’ normal or pre-planned shopping trip and offer them something unique or new.

Speedy reactions are key . . .

Modular units are a great way for businesses undergoing rapid expansion to test new locations and new markets. The e-cigarette industry is a great example of how businesses use such RMUs to react to changing market demands.

Modular units are a type of RMU that provides both security and, where needed, privacy. They are popular among barbers, nail and eyebrow bars and piercing stalls; all of which require exposure yet seclusion for the comfort of their customers. They serve as a scaled-down but complete business premises, giving companies the option to launch on a smaller scale, with fewer overheads.

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