By Kelly Anne Fitzpatrick on December 11, 2012 in
Pop-up stores are the new "it" way to get your holiday shopping done. One day you've got a vacant storefront, and the next a trendy, local shopping destination. According to Christina Norsig, founder of PopUpInsider and author of Pop-Up Retail; How You Can Master This Global Marketing Phenomenon, the pop-up trend evolved from the perfect storm of economic changes in real estate and the retail industry along with changing consumer demands.
"Today's consumer is always hungry for something new ... pop ups serve that demand like no other format before them," she explains in her book. Here are a few pop-ups that'll help you support your local community as you hunt down your holiday gifts no matter where you are in the U.S.
Downtown South Bend Holiday Pop-Up Shops: Named by Newsweek as one of America’s “dying cities,” South Bend, Indiana is fighting hard to make a comeback. One recent initiative is the downtown area’s Holiday Pop-Up Shops. Retailers include art galleries, home goods, clothing, jewelry, handcrafts and even beer-brewing suppliers. You’ll also find an ice rink and you may spot a whole host of famous characters from Rudolph to Laura Ingalls Wilder to the big jolly guy himself.
Where: Downtown South Bend, IN; various locations
When: Now-December 29; Monday-Friday 10am-7pm, Saturdays and Sundays 10am-4pm
Holiday DLight: Made in Detroit: Check out the best Detroit has to offer, all in one strip of formerly abandoned shopfronts. The event is hosted by the luxury shopping mall, The Somerset Collection. Along with top gift ideas from the The Collection, Holiday DLight offers visitors shops full of Detroit-made gifts and art, snacks, and a play area for kiddos. Quirky outdoors gear retailer, Moosejaw, promises to be a highlight.
Where: The 1200 Block, Woodward, Detroit, MI
When: Now-December 22; Thursday-Saturday 12pm-9pm
MemShop: Want to find the best from more than 40 local, Southern artisans and craftspeople? Head to MemShop, a local initiative that aims to reinvigorate vacated commercial spaces in Memphis. Follow MemShop on Facebook to track which artisans will be featured when and even get advanced notice of celebrity appearances from folks like the mayor or Santa Claus.
Where: Overton Square, Memphis, Tennessee
When: Now-December 23; Thursday 4pm-8pm, Friday and Saturday 10am-8pm, Sunday 10am-6pm
Ooga Booga at VSF Venice: Whether you’re shopping for that intimidatingly cool office Secret Santa or the hip guy who has everything, head to Ooga Booga at VSF Venice. Until December 24th, the Venice art gallery Various Small Fires will be hosting Ooga Booga, a Chinatown boutique, right upstairs. Find the best in art, books, music and clothes all in one place.
Where: 1212-B Abbot Kinney, Venice, California
When: Now-December 24; Wednesday-Sunday 12pm-7pm
Holiday 2.0: The only thing better than a cool fashion startup is three cool fashion startups teaming up to bring you one extra-awesome holiday pop-up shop. Holiday 2.0 is just that. Two of the companies you’ll find at the collaborative space offer men’s and women’s apparel, while the third helps your turn your favorite old grungy T-shirts into a quilt. Sounds like the perfect swap to us!
Where: 115 Newbury Street, 3rd Floor, Boston, Massachusetts
When: Now-December 22; daily 10am-8pm
NYLON Pop-Up Shop: If it’s trend-setting goodies you seek — from Apple accessories to Doc Martens — head straight to the Mecca, NYLON. You’ll find scores of fashion-forward clothing, accessories and gifts right in NYC’s Meatpacking District.
Where: 72 Gansevoort Street, New York City
When: Now-December 18; Monday-Saturday 12pm-7pm, Sunday 12pm-5pm
Deck the Halls: While you’re in Meatpacking, head over to Deck the Halls to find cool local goods from established retailers like Baggu to pop-up perennials like BKLYN Dry Goods. You’ll find clothing, jewelry and accessories dominate this market, but there’s also a smattering of home goods and art, too.
Where: 344 West 14th Street, New York City
When: Now-December 23; Monday-Friday 12pm-8pm, Saturday and Sunday 11am-8pm
