Getty Images | Micha Generalvi
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Imagine it's late October, and you're walking down a street in midtown Manhattan. You pass by an abandoned storefront, its empty floors and dusty windows are yet another reminder that it's been a tough year. Fast forward one month, and that same storefront is now stylishly decked out in holiday fashion, hustling and bustling with smiling shoppers. Temporary retail spaces, or pop-up stores, like this have been, well... popping up more and more these days. Everyone from Gucci to Target to LuluMae in Australia have gotten into the pop-up game. Many say it's a product of the down economy, but it's also a sign of the importance for brands large and small to have meaningful relationships with customers.
While they are nothing new, experts say pop-ups are great chances for companies to interact with customers in new, authentic, and unique ways. Because of their fleeting nature, everything in the pop-up -- from the items being sold to the racks that they get displayed on -- becomes an opportunity to brand the shopping experience. And for many, that opportunity is to showcase green credentials.
Plugged In to the Latest Trends
Wired magazine, the popular publication for all things gadget and gear, opened its pop-up store in New York a few weeks ago. People often look at technology for innovative ways to live greener lives, and that means Wired is better off than many to talk about what those are. Featuring a Go Green section, customers can find products that include everything from devices that can reduce the energy your computer wastes up to 85 percent to folding bicycles to lampshades made from salvaged cardboard. The folks at Wired also teamed up with Adrian Grenier, the star HBO's Entourage, to curate a portion of the store. Grenier is developing a new TV series, called the Green Life, which will show how making small changes in everyday living can be simple and easy.
Wired pop-up store shoppers can even find a section to shop for used sporting goods on eBay, often finding products that are as good as new for a fraction of the price (and less the environmental impact). The Wired store will be open in Manhattan through the end of December.
Blurring the Line Between Online and Off
With the success of its iPhone app, eBay used its 57th Street pop-up in Manhattan as a way to build the bridge between online and offline worlds, literally bringing its online marketplace to life. Attended by the likes of Kim Kardashian, Oprah's style guru Nate Berkus, and helmed by Zem Joaquin of ecofabulous, shoppers were greeted to an entire section dedicated to eco-excellence on eBay. It featured a range of the pre-owned, sustainable, and resource-saving products you can find on the site, from vintage luggage sets to purses hand-woven by artisans in Madagascar from renewable materials.
Though the 57th Street store is no longer open, eBay's mobile boutique is traveling (fueled by biodiesel) to 10 other locations throughout the US, from Chicago to Atlanta to Los Angeles, and is also featuring eco-excellence sections. Its last stop will be in Orange County on December 20th.
Weaving Green into Every Last Nook and Cranny
Many people know Nau for its organic cotton shirts, sustainably-sourced wool sweaters, and all-in-all eco-friendly apparel (Check out this great interview with its founder on TreehuggerTV). But when it opened its pop-up store in Manhattan's sheik SoHo district, all eyes were not on what was being sold.
Everything at the store is made from used, discarded, and found products from Manhattan and Brooklyn. Racks were made from old piping, wood, and their wheels were taken from an abandoned go-kart. An old ladder has transformed into a shoe display. Tables made of cardboard and recycled metal stand as product displays. The decorators have even covered fitting rooms with cloth dyed in used coffee grounds. The look of the store is clean and streamlined, and really speaks to the power of how a little creative reuse can create a stylish experience. It also says something about how shopping this holiday season can be done sustainably.
Whether they feature sustainably produced merino wool sweaters or "experienced" golf clubs that have been refurbished, pop-ups show customers that brands are capable of providing them with the kinds of items and experiences that can have big impacts on their lives. As Dwell wrote about the Green Depot pop-up store last Earth Day, "The pop-up is a high profile way to make quality, green products accessible so that green living can be easy, worthwhile, and gratifying."
