Fixtures for pop-up stores

by Matthew | 10 September 2012 8:30 am

By Dmitry Sokolov
‘Pop-up stores’ are temporary outlets that have become increasingly popular over the last decade. Set up for short periods with little or no advance notice, they include a variety of formats, such as vacant retail units, streetside or alley locations, miniature department stores and compact booths set up within existing stores or shopping malls. In all of these variations, the concept remains the same, striving to keep the retail experience fresh, new and exciting for consumers.

The combined persistence of many retailers who experimented early on with pop-up stores has now made them part of the mainstream. In 2011 alone, well-established retailers and suppliers who embraced the pop-up store concept included Holt Renfrew, Topshop, H&M, L’Oreal and Target, among many others.

As these retailers continue to experiment with attempts to reach new customers in more hip and intimate ways, they face challenges in achieving brand recognition within a temporary space that, in many cases, imposes restrictions in terms of modifications. It can also be significantly difficult to make this ‘trunk show’ concept meet the retailer’s own tight branding guidelines and stringent design standards.

In this ‘one sign fits all’ context, digital signage answers the call. With its easily transferable capabilities for portable branding, messaging and sales promotions, it is rapidly becoming the tool of choice for retailers seeking to enhance their temporary facilities.

Signage on demand
Digital signage can convey rich media content on demand, delivering not only a high-impact visual experience for shoppers, but also nearly instant content updates. It can take the form of portable or wall-mounted screens or even interactive kiosks.

Studies suggest digital signage achieves nearly double the recall rate of traditional signage, so it can help bring much-needed extra attention to a temporary store or merchandising fixture, allowing it to stand out from the rest of the retail crowd. And the dynamic capabilities of digital signage are well-matched for the transient nature of pop-up retailing.

In contrast to posters and other static graphics, digital signage can incorporate a wide variety of branding assets, including TV commercials and product demonstration videos, to communicate with in-store and curbside traffic alike. Whether mounted on walls or positioned on stands, digital displays enable interchangeable signage throughout the pop-up store layout. Larger displays or even multi-screen video walls can be installed behind the cash counter, for example, to create a central focal point.

Meanwhile, infrared (IR) sensors and webcams can trigger interactive content based on shoppers’ proximity. A digital sign positioned at the entryway to a ‘one day only’ store can invite customers in and, as they approach, switch content to provide a detailed view of the related products and promotions.

This type of interactivity can be achieved without staff intervention, using a simple script to interface with a standard, off-the-shelf webcam mounted to the sign. On-screen content can also be changed at any time to highlight special offers, according to available inventory or day-part.

Interactive kiosks may be purpose-built or based around an ‘all-in-one’ personal computer (PC) designed for touch screens. One major advantage this medium offers for pop-up stores is the ability to access full-store product inventory through ‘virtual sales assistant’ software and browser-based content configured to display in kiosk mode. Shoppers and staff can look up and order all of the retailer’s catalogued products, including those that could not be physically accommodated within the smaller shop format, arranging for warehoused inventory to be delivered to the customer’s home or nearest permanent store.

These advanced capabilities mean a tiny pop-up location can operated like a full-line store but at a fraction of the footprint and cost. Then, once the store is closed and packed up, the digital signs and kiosks can be placed in shipping containers and sent along to the next stop where they will be needed, with displayed information tailored accordingly for that location.

Stores outdoors
There can be additional challenges when a pop-up store is not set up in a dedicated retail space. Some are introduced in truly non-traditional locations, such as outdoor parking lots that are not wired for electronic equipment.

In these cases, mobile digital signage systems can cater to retailers’ needs. Battery-powered fixtures allow screens to operate virtually anywhere.

Toronto-based Design Science, for example, has provided such systems for ‘street furniture,’ including wayfinding kiosks equipped with light-emitting diode (LED) tickers that display tourist information and emergency alerts. They are ruggedized to endure weather and attempted vandalism.

Battery-powered fixtures for digital signage can also be configured to support merchandising shelves and point-of-sale (POS) hardware for processing transactions. With this kind of infrastructure, a complete store can be set up anywhere outdoors.

Dynamic and static
More traditional, non-powered signage can also continue to play a role, of course. Retailers might apply large-format printed vinyl or foamboard graphics to brand their overall store and then ‘embed’ digital signage for the provision of content that will change with each redeployment.

In this way, digital and static signage can complement and enhance each other, with the retailer maximizing the lower square footage cost of printed point-of-purchase (POP) graphics and the higher visual impact of dynamic media. And with the ability to readily update the digital signage content, there is no longer any need to print new graphics, overhaul merchandising fixtures or redesign the store layout each time the retailer’s product selection, branding or in-store messaging changes.

In many cases, this flexibility will directly translate into reduced deployment times and cost savings.

The future is digital
Today, there is no question about the pervasive digitization of retail environments. In-store digital signage is increasingly popular for its flexibility in content updates, support for rich media and interactive capabilities. And with many form factors available, it is making its way directly into store layout designs.

While the bulk of digital signage installations in the retail market are reaching traditional stores, there are many reasons to extend the technology into pop-up stores, as well, where it is particularly important to draw attention in a mobile and flexible fashion.

Much like conventional signs, digital signage is not simply a turnkey offering from a single provider. The medium has come to encompass many small, one-off projects that are manageable in-house with the help of content management software, as well as more complex projects that require a co-ordinated effort with an information technology (IT) partner, audiovisual (AV) integrator and/or content developer.

Close relationships between the involved parties—and the clear designation of one party as the lead or principal on the project—will help ensure everything is handled properly, from network deployment to display selection and installation.

Indeed, sign companies planning to enter the digital signage market should not feel trapped by the complexities of complete systems, particularly in the early stages. Instead, they can review the various elements and develop a plan for delivering digital signage with the right partners, with an offering that can evolve and grow more complex in the future.

Dmitry Sokolov is retail solutions and thin clients category business manager for HP Canada. For more information, visit www.hp.ca[5].

Source URL: https://www.signmedia.ca/fixtures-for-pop-up-stores/

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