Pop-up Stores in Fashion Retailing - A description of temporary retailing in relation to Flagship Stores and Outlet Stores

Abstract: The use of temporary stores, so called pop-up stores, has over the years become a common occurrence in the fashion industry. While previous research in regards to the pop-up store phenomenon has investigated its functions, there remains a gap in the research regarding the definition of a pop-up store and its distinguishing features in relation to other commonly utilized store formats. This study aims to clarify how pop-up stores differ from flagship stores and outlet stores through the perspective of four crucial dimensions (Store environment, Selection & Price, Location and Retail strategy), which derives from theoretical and focus group insights. This is done by deconstructing and analyzing the phenomenon through a multiple-extensive-case study including four different cases of pop-up stores on the Swedish fashion market. The main study results revealed variations among the companies in regards to how pop-up stores are utilized. These results were discussed in relation to previous literature on the subject, and thereby exposing the distinguishing features of pop-up stores in relation to flagship and outlet stores. Our findings suggest that the main differences between pop-up stores and flagship stores can be found within the store environment and store location, whereas pop-up stores are mainly differentiated from outlets in regards to the price level.