Pop Up Retail Store Design Tips
Pop Up Retail Store Design Tips
Shannon Aiken is the Head of Sourcing and Creative at Displaysense, overseeing product strategy, trend-led sourcing, and creative direction to shape a standout range of commercial display solutions.
Pop up shops are a powerful way to boost brand awareness, trial new ideas, and create buzz – but to make a lasting impression, your store design needs to be spot on from the start.
80% of companies that launch a pop up shop report it as a success. With the right design, you can too!
1. Get your aesthetics right
The aesthetics of your pop up shop will have a significant impact on its success. This is an opportunity to engage with potential new customers and boost brand awareness, so ensure your pop up store retail design both embodies your brand and appeals to your target market.
From colours and decor to your choice of location, these all need to be carefully considered. Take inspiration from Glossier. With its Covent Garden pop up store, the cult make-up brand took its demographic, London location and design schemes into account to create what its founder and CEO described as ‘an immersive and enduring experience that looks at the city through Glossier-coloured glasses’. The result? The store was a huge success and was extended from three months until the end of the year.
2. Plan your layout
The layout is another vital aspect of pop up retail design. Choose a layout that will guide your customers’ journey through your store and determine what they encounter.
The four common store layouts are:
- Herringbone – Short aisles on either side with a central corridor.
- Grid – Long rows with promotional items at aisle ends (think supermarkets).
- Loop/racetrack – A circular flow that guides the shopper journey (IKEA style).
- Free-flow – No set layout, encourages exploration.
Best layout? The loop/racetrack layout offers the best chance to showcase products in a controlled, immersive way. Short on space? Go free-flow!
3. Choose the location carefully
Location is also crucial to get right. This can affect not only the atmosphere of your pop up store but also which customers it attracts. If you’re considering making your pop up store a permanent feature, this is also an opportunity to test the location’s success.
✅ Easy to find
✅ High footfall
✅ Aligned with your target market
✅ Close to complementary brands
4. Create an experience
One of the biggest goals of your pop up retail store design should be creating an experience for your customers. Dubbed ‘retailtainment’, this is a massive retail design trend and ideal for pop up shops. Creating an immersive, unique and fun experience in your pop up shop will help create a buzz about your brand and encourage word of mouth referrals.
Your pop up shop should be exciting and experiential. This could be:
- Offering an exclusive service only available at your pop up shop
- Selling limited-edition products to snap up
- Hosting live music events
- Providing refreshments
- Encouraging photo opportunities
5. Encourage social media
If you create an experience for your customers, you’ll also be maximising the chances of generating social media engagement. Encouraging customers to share their experience on Instagram and other social platforms is unrivalled for building hype about your pop up and your brand in general.
One of the easiest ways to do this is by creating designated areas for photo opportunities – feature walls, attractive props, or curated backdrops.
