Retail Pop-up Strategy and the Art of the Exit - Medallion Retail
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Pop-up Retail

Retail Pop-up Strategy and the Art of the Exit

POSTED ON: 10/26/17 retail pop-up strategy

Retail marketers put a lot of effort into getting shoppers into pop-ups. We activate social media, hire celebrities, harness FOMO, offer sneak-peeks, engage influencers, launch whisper campaigns and stage stunts, all to make sure that hundreds of people walk through those pop-up doors. But your retail pop-up strategy must also include a solid exit plan.[bctt tweet=”Your retail pop-up strategy must include a solid exit plan.” username=”MeetMrPopUp”]

What pop-up guests experience as they leave the event is as important as what they saw, heard and felt when they came in. Pop-ups are about making big, memorable, positive impressions. It would be foolish to let a haphazard or awkward checkout and exit be the thing that the shopper remembers.

Shopper Moments – satisfying, meaningful and personalized experiences – should be facilitated at every major interaction point in the pop-up. The retail pop-up strategy that gives the “finale” the short shrift is weak and incomplete.

Five Ways to Finish Strong

Optimize the exit.

A great exit area is clearly marked, fully staffed and, ideally, holds a final surprise for the shopper.

If you have a counter for information or checkout, make sure it’s an integral part of the pop-up design. Consider stocking that counter with smaller items for sale. Even in a pop-up, the checkout area is an impulse buy opportunity.

 

Give e-receipts.

The right technology, intelligently applied, can vastly improve the checkout and exit experience. By implementing e-receipts, you get rid of extra bits of paper that, if (when?) strewn about, damage the visual integrity of the pop-up design. (Unless your pop-up theme is “Little Bits of Paper,” in which case, bring on the traditional receipts.)

An e-receipt can also help your shopper feel less harassed. With a digital system, the cashier has a non-invasive way to ask for the shopper’s email address (and you do want that email address). It becomes just a natural part of the conversation, with a clear benefit to the shopper.

If you have a loyalty program, staff won’t even have to ask about email. As long as the shopper’s email is linked to her loyalty account, the cashier simply pulls up the account as usual, confirms the email address and sends the receipt. It’s a seamless, painless experience.

 

Use mobile POS.

When appropriate (to the brand and the pop-up vision), consider using mobile point of sale (mPOS) technology. mPOS tends to be highly efficient and intuitive, which means staff can serve people more quickly. The mobile part means that the register comes to the shopper, wherever she may be in the pop-up space.

 

Perfect the art of the finishing touch.

Think about how purchases are packaged. Are you “celebrating” the purchase with the shopper? What are you wrapping the items in? How does your shopping bag further the shopper’s pop-up experience? The packaging is the take-home part of the experience. A clever and well-executed wrap job reminds the shopper of how much she enjoyed your pop-up.

If possible, present the shopper with a gift or memento as she exits the pop-up. It’s a lovely way to demonstrate appreciation and strengthen the shopper – brand relationship.

Your retail pop-up strategy should go heavy on the details. Give thought to every element and every action. How will the staffer present the purchase and/or the gift to the shopper? How will she give directions, handle complaints and move through the space?

 

Make training a priority.

Speaking of staff, they are literally the faces of your retail pop-up. You can have a beautiful checkout system outfitted with the very best technology, but none of that will matter if poorly trained staff makes an unpleasant last impression.

The individuals manning your pop-up are, above everything else, hosts. They must be welcoming, attentive, intuitive and fully versed in your brand, your products and the pop-up experience of which they are an integral part.

Make sure that staff members pay full attention to the shopper, answering and asking questions intelligently and appropriately. Give them knowledge and autonomy so that they can make decisions quickly. Remind them to smile and make eye contact. Sweat the details and take nothing for granted.

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