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The power of the pop-up

SINGAPORE — It used to be that if you wanted to buy a housewarming gift or a new outfit, you’d go to a shopping mall. But these days, shoppers in Singapore are opting for a different experience altogether — the pop-up.

Tea brand A.muse Projects was one of the stalls at Hotel Jen Tanglin's Superlife Affair pop-up. Photo: Hotel Jen

Tea brand A.muse Projects was one of the stalls at Hotel Jen Tanglin's Superlife Affair pop-up. Photo: Hotel Jen

SINGAPORE — It used to be that if you wanted to buy a housewarming gift or a new outfit, you’d go to a shopping mall. But these days, shoppers in Singapore are opting for a different experience altogether — the pop-up.

At a pop-up, one can find a myriad of quirky, one-of-a-kind goods that may be absent from a conventional shopping centre where rentals are sky-high and footfall low.

“Whenever I hear about another new mall opening in Singapore, my first thought would be, ‘Exactly what we need — more Uniqlos, more Zaras, more BreadTalks. You can no longer tell what makes one mall different from the next,” said Alicia Ng, 24, a Masters student who admits to hunting down pop-up events by following the Facebook pages of well-known organisers such as Public Garden and The Local People.

“Whenever I wear something I bought from a pop-up, friends invariably ask me where I got them,” added Ng.

“I believe we can all relate to the excitement we felt whenever we saw workers building tentage that signified the arrival of a pasar malam (night market) in our neighbourhood,” said Mabel Low, 28, brand manager of The Farm Store, creators of Singapasar, to be held at the National Design Centre on Saturday (July 30) and Sunday (July 31).

“But unlike the night markets of yesteryear, there is a level of curation happening at a pop-up. Each pop-up offers different things and these are usually not found in shopping malls. I believe it is the experience of discovering something new that makes pop-ups interesting.”

Singapasar was created last year to celebrate Singapore’s Golden Jubilee. The Farm Store gathered local designers and artisans who were representative of Singapore’s culture and started a pop-up at the National Design Centre. The initiative proved to be a success, with more than 6,000 people visiting the event that weekend. “This year, with an increase in the number of vendors, 35 from last year’s 22, we are expecting to have more than 8,000 people,” Low revealed.

Launchpad for local brands

Singapasar claims to be the “largest marketplace celebrating the local identity”. “We are the only and largest marketplace in Singapore to feature only locally-inspired products and food, instead of a mixture of stuff from both Singaporean and international brands,” explained Low. Last year’s Singapasar introduced shoppers to brands such as Onlewo, Hinika, and Artofchris.

“Yes, pop-ups are a great way to meet local and foreign buyers. The direct interaction with our customers is gratifying. Pop-ups also provide a platform for a local business to meet other businesses for collaborations,” said Mike Tay, founder of Onlewo, who is in his 40s.

While Tay agrees that pop-ups provide a good opportunity and space for a local brand to create awareness in the market, he cautions against a formulaic mix of brands. “Shoppers can get tired if the offerings stay the same. As such, pop-ups must be well-curated. Organisers have to work closely with designers to give them ample time to prepare exclusive launches for the pop-up to create an outstanding event.”

Pop-up organiser Lu Yawen of The Local People said it is important to mix things up by using different vendors or by creating a different experience. “The Local People hold about one to two pop-up events every month. We started in an alley at Hoot Kiam Road in May 2015 and have gone on to organise larger ones at Tanjong Pagar Railway Station and tied up with events such as DBS Regatta recently,” said Lu. “We sometimes have themes and ensure that 
80 per cent of our vendors are different from our previous pop-ups.”

The Local People will also be organising an art market tonight, as part of Aliwal Art Centre’s Arts Night Crawl 2016: Sarong Party.

Creating a more unique experience for customers

For participating vendors who are mainly e-commerce businesses, pop-ups provide a relatively inexpensive opportunity to showcase their wares in real life. Nuevo Vino, an online retailer of artisan wines and spirits, is one such beneficiary. It has participated in the pop-ups by APS Lifestyle for three years running and sees them as an extension of its brand personality. “Pop-ups are held only for short periods of time and this adds a sense of urgency and exclusivity,” said Audrey Tan, 28, creative catalyst of Nuevo Vino. “It leads to social media buzz and even new business partnerships.” Tan said she has gotten to know other brands such as Nepresso and Skin Inc through pop-up events and subsequently worked with them on other projects.

Even retail and hospitality brands are creating their own pop-up events to enhance their customers’ experience within their own premises.

Early this month, Hotel Jen Tanglin collaborated with superfood e-business Superlife Co to create A Superlife Affair, a pop-up featuring 15 local start-ups such as Box Green, Hook Coffee, and The Fitness Grocer. “Our guests want to get to know Singapore, even if they are only here for a night. This pop-up forms part of our wider #NextJen campaign, which aims to provide a platform for local entrepreneurs to showcase their passion to an international audience,” said David Lam, director of sales and marketing, Hotel Jen Tanglin Singapore and Hotel Jen Orchardgateway Singapore.

Lam elaborated: “Nowadays, travellers want to find that hidden restaurant that serves the best local food, they want to buy a gift for their loved ones back home that actually has some meaning behind it, that reflects the soul of the country they’ve visited. These initiatives all improve and enhance the guest experience; even if you stay just one night with us, you will leave feeling like you know Singapore a bit better.”

On Aug 27, Hotel Jen Orchardgateway will be hosting a local organic farmers’ market to showcase 15 local farmers and businesses producing high-quality food locally.

A long-time supporter of local brands, Tangs has also jumped on the pop-up bandwagon with its store’s latest facelift. The home-grown retail brand has a dedicated 1,000sqf on the fourth floor of its Tang Plaza store for pop-ups. Said Stacey Halliwell, its vice-president, merchandising and marketing: “We believe pop-ups bring freshness to our stores and keep our customers excited and engaged. Sometimes, we feature limited-edition collections of brands already available at Tangs, and other times we feature brands not available in our store.”

Until Aug 17, the store will be celebrating some of Singapore’s best and emerging talents in a specially curated pop-up called Local Grown. Featuring brands such as Max.Tan, The Authority, Candles of Light, and Concrete Everything, the pop-up is a showcase of the ideal marriage between artisanship and retail.

From independent organisers to big lifestyle names, pop-ups serve not only as a way to draw traffic to a venue, but also to stir up interest in new brands among the city’s increasingly jaded shoppers.

“In general, we see upticks in both footfall and sales revenue as a result of pop-ups,” confirmed Halliwell. There is also the appeal of the “limited time period” — prompting shoppers to make that trip down to check out the goods in person and buy, buy, buy.

Now isn’t that the ultimate point of any shopping concept?

 

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