After working as a workshop-based wedding florist for only a couple of years, I quickly could see the necessity of filling the diary all year round. In the UK, the wedding season is very much April to September, with a few brides choosing an autumn or winter wedding. My workshop was an old barn on our land at home, lovely and cool and light in the summer months but cold, drafty and damp in the winter. Not conducive for seasonal winter work. I had made the odd Christmas wreath for family and friends but never promoted or advertised much more than that. Why would I want to spend more time than strictly necessary in my workshop during winter?

I must admit the initial credit has to go to my husband. One November, we were out for coffee in our local town when he spotted a small vacant retail unit. "Why don't you trial a shop?" he said. And instantly, I could think of a hundred and one reasons not to—but the seed was sown, and now eight years on, I can look back on five successful Christmas pop-up shops, which have also led to me having a successful full-time retail outlet. The reasons for using pop-up shops may differ (especially as wedding season and Christmas are in the same season in the Southern Hemisphere), but this article will look at the practicalities of sourcing, opening, and running a pop-up to perhaps convince you to try it for yourself.

Location Location Location

Choose your location carefully. Crucially you need footfall. And footfall of your target market. Prime locations are obviously going to command high rents, and there may not be empty units, so think outside the box a bit. The main walkway from a car park to town, close to other community outlets—libraries, coffee shops, even schools if the school mum is your target customer. Or perhaps go out of town and look at space at a farm shop, garage, or garden centre. If it's a place that people hang out at and visit regularly, then you are halfway there. Look out for empty units, for sale boards, to let boards, and even signs of closing down sales. Speak to neighbouring businesses to find out landlord details. Ideally, if you can get to the owner rather than an agent, you may have a better chance of securing favourable terms. Empty units normally look for their 'forever business,' and landlords and owners may not be interested in a temporary tenant at first. But I have always managed to persuade them. As a pop-up, you will only be there perhaps for a few weeks or a couple of months. I found in the lead-up to Christmas, this worked to my advantage. A new business would not be looking at signing a lease on an empty unit a few weeks before a peak season. They won't have time to get work done, and a full business set up to cash in on key retail periods. But as an organised pop-up, you can. Hit the ground running, and you can be open in days—occupying the unit at the optimum time and then vacating just after Christmas, perhaps ready for a full-time business to take on the space. The landlord or agent can still market the property when you are in and set up, and it's easy to see how much easier it is to let property when it's in use rather than dead empty space. It's a win-win situation!

With limited time and money to put into a pop-up, you want to choose somewhere with a ready-to-go appearance. There is no point taking on somewhere that requires weeks of work and buckets of money before it's suitable. But conversely, it's unlikely you'll find the perfect blank space in tip-top condition. A coat of paint, rolls of material, and other props can "hide a multitude of sins!"

Working electric, lights, and a water source are key. Negotiate hard on rent. And offer all payments upfront. That way, the landlord is more likely to take you on with hard cash in their hand. Having a unit occupied can also benefit the owner as they will not be liable for rates, overheads, etc., on an empty unit. Always take legal advice on any leases before signing.

Whilst we are on the legalities, you have to look into insurance. Public liability as a minimum. Stock and cash would also need to be insured against theft, fire, etc. Don't forget to look into employer's liability if you plan to have people working for you on the premises.

Marketing

As soon as you have your premises secure, then start your marketing. You can't wait for the space to be open and rely on passing trade and word of mouth from customers. Time is short, so you need to make your target audience aware as soon as possible with plenty of "coming soon" marketing. It also allows you to explore other options as customers often ask, "will you be selling xxx?" If the customer is asking for it—make sure you have it! Social media is the obvious choice. It's instant, targeted, and initially free. Don't be scared to put money into social media marketing. A quick return can be made if it gets your story out there. PR is another low-cost option. Local papers and radio stations love a local independent business story. Send them details, images, and any spin on supporting local communities or green issues is another big tick. Plan your merchandising. Again you don't need to spend a fortune on shop-fittings. Landlords may not want you to secure things to the walls and floors, so use free-standing options. (These can also be kept and used again in subsequent years or other units) Crates and pallets are ideal for shelving units and tables. Second-hand furniture is also great for repainting in brand colours. No one expects a pop-up to be perfect. And the rustic look will just add to the charm. Make sure you check lead times or delivery dates for planned stock. Nowadays, most wholesalers are working the 'just in time' model, so they won't necessarily hold levels of stock. You need to make sure the shop is fully stocked from day one.

Pricing

You now have overheads (rents, rates, utilities). Make sure these are built into your pricing structure. This may mean your bouquets and arrangements are more expensive than you were offering from 'home,' so perhaps make sure there are some differences between the bouquets you are selling so as not to get direct comparisons.

You don't need a fancy till system. But you need a secure way to take cash. I recommend accepting card payments unless you are located 20 ft from a cash machine! Since COVID, the use of cash has really declined, but it's never been easier to get set up with a card reader. Izettle, Square, or plenty of others have no subscription, low fee, and easy-to-use systems. Some come with a till system app as well, with which you can do reporting. That said, a notebook and pen work just as well. Keep tabs on what is selling—not just for restocking and planning but to keep for subsequent years. Because trust me, once you've popped up, then you want to pop up again! I've never been in the same premises twice, but once you have your plan, it is so easy to repeat whenever necessary.

For me, what started as a seasonal Christmas pop-up worked so well that it was easy to make the switch to a full-time retail outlet. Over five years, I had scoped the best location, discovered my best-selling products, and established a customer base. Therefore, it was a low-risk move to jump from workshop to high street-based business. And I've never looked back!