Pop-up shops growing in popularity as retail looks to rebound

Listen to this article

“As long as there has been retail, there have been pop-up shops,” said Denise Ogden, professor of marketing at Penn State Lehigh Valley.

The concept isn’t new, and it isn’t just limited to one kind of pop-up, but with commercial real estate in flux in the retail sector, the concept of the pop-up shop is becoming more popular than ever as property owners look to fill space and retail hopefuls try their hand at a lower-risk style of store.

There are several retail spaces with pop-up concepts throughout the Lehigh Valley, City Center has pop-up space in Allentown as does the Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley.

The Promenade Shops recently opened a clothing pop-up shop called Sweet Diehl.

The 1,500-square-foot space is owner Andrea Diehl’s second retail location. She said her goal with the shop is to offer clothing options for all.

“At Sweet Diehl Boutique, we understand that fashion is not one-size-fits-all. That’s why we handpick a diverse range of styles that cater to every body type, ensuring that our customers feel confident and beautiful in everything they wear,” she said. “Whether someone is petite, curvy, or somewhere in between, we have something special just for them.”

And with the growth in pop-up shops, there has also been a growth in success of these ventures, with some temporary pop-up shops evolving into full-time, permanent ventures.

One of the newest shops to go from pop-up to permanent is the Truffle Bar in West Allentown.

Owner Brooke Dietrich recently opened a full-time shop at 5831 Tilghman St.

After years or making her sweet treats for friends and family to rave reviews, Dietrich started selling her truffles in a pop-up shop at Barre 3, a local fitness studio. After finding success there, she tried more long-term pop-ups at a few different locations around the area.

“I’ve always loved taking simple recipes and adding that special twist to them. So, when co-workers of mine started calling these truffles ‘little balls of heaven’, I knew I had something special,” Dietrich said.

She said the experience of operating pop-up shops – mostly centered around holidays like Valentine’s Day — gave her the confidence to give up her day job and open a full-time retail shop.

Chef Sophie Vandecasteele found similar success with her Sophistique French Bistro. She started out with a stand at the Allentown Farmers Market before opening a pop-up shop at Jay’s Local.

She sold her French pastries and cuisine on Saturdays over the summer, but her food became so popular that shop owner Lyell Scherline asked her to stay on as his full-time chef at the eatery, at least through the fall.

Scherline said he originally started with the pop-ups as a way to attract new business to Jay’s Local, while helping other business owners get exposure at an established destination.

“It’s just really good for the community,” he said.

Now, he said, he has found the added benefit of having a full-time chef at a time when it’s hard to find workers, so he said it’s definitely been a win for both him and Vandecasteele

Ogden said pop-up shops fundamentally are beneficial to both aspiring retailers and property owners.

“In this retail landscape it’s difficult to launch a brand because you don’t know if it will work,” she said. “With a pop-up you can see if it will work and you’re not out a lot of money.

Property owners will generally lease out the space at a lower rate because keeping those storefronts full is better for their business.

Natalia Stezenko, senior general manager for The Promenade Shops, said that as retail rebounds from the pandemic, national brands are looking at shopping centers that have a full and diverse lineup of stores.

Having shops in what otherwise would be empty spaces makes a shopping center more attractive to those larger, national retailers that bring in more money.

“It’s lower risk. It gets the lights on at a lower rent, but you’re filling space while still looking for long-term tenants,” she said.

Besides offering pop-ups lower rent, she said the Promenade pop-up space also offers amenities like signage and fixtures so that the retailers don’t have to make those additional investments.

But because the concept of pop-up shops is becoming so popular, she said retailers are getting pickier about who they bring in.

“We’re not leasing the pop-up space to just anyone who comes to us with an idea. It has to fit in with the center and be well merchandised,” she said.