Considering opening a pop-up salon in a town centre to boost Christmas sale?
Popping up everywhere, pop-up shops magically appear overnight in the middle of cities and towns. Due to the nature of a pop-up, easy to set-up, the flexibility of the lease terms, and an appeal to boost sales seasonally, pop up salons can work especially well over Christmas holidays, wherever you are.
Here are 6 tips to consider when considering setting up a pop-up shop.
1. Setting up and sourcing the premises
Bad economy? Good for you! And I am not trying to be mean, but in challenging times, one thing there is no lack of is abandoned empty premises in the middle of the town centres. That opens up whole new opportunities to businesses such as your salons to turn ugly buildings into a thriving hub of creativity and a place where cash is exchanged, benefiting not only your salons but the city you love as well.
If your salon is based in a similar city as we are here in Manchester, in the UK, one thing you will have no lack of is great premises desperately lying empty in the heart of the city centres. It’s relatively easy to source and track the owners of such properties, some of them are privately owned real estate agents and others may belong to the councils, and with a bit of research and luck, you can easily negotiate to rent a unit for your pop-up salon over the Christmas period.
2. Negotiating
Having plenty of empty spots also gives you, as a salon owner, an advantage in the negotiations. For most businesses, it is a no-brainer that it is much better to earn cash from empty units than leave them abandoned. That gives you the advantage to negotiate not only your rental, length of the contract, but also any maintenance that the building may require. Remember empty properties may be in great shape, but they may also need a fresh paint and general maintenance checks. If you are the one giving such facelift make sure you use it to your advantage when negotiating.
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3. Beyond empty premises
Obviously empty buildings are not the only options for pop-ups, winter markets, temporary pods, and sheds can be literally popped up freestanding in the middle of the busy hot spots. Other venues to consider popping up are places such as fun holiday running races, ice-rinks, even restaurants, and corporate sites. With a little bit of creativity, you can strike a really good deal to not only pop a shop but also secure a clientele over the Christmas period.
4. Beyond holidays
The good thing about pop-up salon models is, of course, its ability to replicate the model beyond holidays. Once you get the system working, look at the calendar and start scheduling your next pop-up events in your city around other holidays, festivals and events.
5. Empowering and rewarding stylists
What a great way to empower your stylists than use the spirit of Christmas and holidays to reward your staff. If your stylists are on commission, make sure they get appropriate credit for generating sales. Offer special bonuses and rewards especially during busy periods. We all know how challenging it is when staff walks out of the salons, so building extra loyalty by giving them what they need in return of their hard work is a great way to create a healthy working relation and much-needed loyalty.
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6. Running the numbers
Analyse sales figures from your pop-up shops. Make sure you understand the monetary value from daily takings, bookings, enquiries, even wait time perhaps. Then use that data to improve your service, experience, and profitability in your salons.
A seasonal salon shop is a great opportunity, but for salons owners, managers or independent stylists to get the most out of it you must be moving quickly, act fast, remain realistic, and the results will start to follow.
Are you running holiday pop-up shops? Share your experience and let us know how it is working for you.
Happy popping, happy holidays
Tamara Machavariani