Faiq Airudin @ Just BruneiansYou’ve been working on your product for months, finally bringing it to a pop-up is exciting! But what do you do after you pay the registration fee? Whether you’re preparing for your first pop-up or an experienced vendor, this article goes through some things to consider.
Finding a pop-up event that works for you
A friend has forwarded you a link to a pop-up. You feel like you have to join because it seems ramai. Consider first:
- Am I ok with the location? Will it take a long time to set up?
- Are my current customers familiar with this venue? Customers may be reluctant due to parking, or it may not be a place on their usual shopping route.
- Are the other pop-up vendors familiar to my current customers? Pop-up events with a theme that is too general may be more difficult for your niche audience to understand and attend.
- Can I make back the rental cost? Whether it’s a one-day event or spread across three days, consider what your spend (set-up costs) will be.
Build up to the day
You’ve posted on your Whatsapp story that you’ll be selling at the pop-up… excitement! The countdown begins. Now, what do you have to do to get prepared?
- Do my customers know where the venue is? IG story with a Google map location might give your customers some idea where the venue is.
- Ask what is already provided. Check if the organisers/venue/committee are providing:
- Chairs
- Table
- Power socket and/or extension
- Refreshments (you’re lucky if they do!)
- Most importantly.. stock check. It really depends on what kind of business you are running, but there are a few ways to estimate the expected demand on the day:
- Simply ask! You could do a simple poll to understand demand. For example – Are you going to this event? Yes / No; or Are you going to buy this product at our event? Yes / No
- Have a “limited offer” for a particular product or service. We know the feeling of dejection when you reload your car with unsold stock, let’s try and avoid that. Figure out what offers could bring in the customers, and limit this to the pop-up period only.
- Use the opportunity for a product launching. The footfall at pop-ups can help bring your product to a wider audience. Riding on the venue advertising helps to amplify your message.
- What do you need to make it through the day? You’re going to be at this pop-up all day, or even all weekend. If you have enough time you can visit the place beforehand to understand what you need. If you notice the bathroom has no toilet paper… best be prepared!
On the day itself
Finally, the day has arrived! You load up the car and carry your items to your booth. Looking ahead to the day that is about to unfold before you, here are some things you might want to think about:
- Sitting or standing? Mix it up! This seems obvious but wear comfortable shoes. You’ll find yourself doing a mixture of walking, sitting, standing, maybe leaning. A good pair helps relieve the long hours spent at the booth.
- Take breaks, you deserve it. As fun as it is to get sales rolling, you also owe it to yourself to take regular breaks. Answering enquiries and mingling with customers require your energy. Customers are understanding if you need to take a bathroom break or grab a bite to eat.
- Inventory check as you go. Pen and paper or digitally, have a way to check how sales are going. This may help to gauge the best time to have a flash sale (1 hour before closing?) or special offer (during peak period, bundle offers to offload stock.
- Lastly, get to know the other vendors. You may consider them as mild competition, but friendly conversation goes a long way in making the time go faster. Who knows, a few might turn out to be future business partners. Also might be of great help if you want to take a well-deserved toilet break!
What do you think of the points above? If you have any suggestions or comments, you can write to us at hello@justbruneians.com