Prior to the pandemic, the retail and leisure pop-up industry largely consisted of revolving retail brands opening short-term stores in order to make their first foray into physical retail. However, as the market bounces back, opportunities in the sector have seen the pop-up industry flooded with an influx of new, immersive leisure concepts.
With names such as Fever, Grande Experiences and Best Experienced Live, you may be forgiven for wondering exactly what these brands offer, but on the whole it is an interactive experience often focused around art, music, theatre or food. In the last six months alone we have seen Fever launch its Money Heist experience, inspired and backed by the hugely popular show on Netflix. The concept opened last year on London’s Old Brompton Road, with participants finding themselves in a brand new ‘heist’ as they attempt to break into an old auction house.
We have also seen Van Gogh Alive – The Experience (pictured above), which creates the feel of stepping into some of the artist’s most famous paintings. Having sold over 8.5 million tickets in 75 cities across the world, the experience is now touring the UK in a variety of pop-up locations. Additionally, earlier this year, the Green Planet AR Experience launched for a limited period at 55 Regent Street, offering guests a window into the secret kingdom of plants, through an immersive augmented reality journey accompanied by a virtual David Attenborough.
These concepts tend to operate models with terms ranging from 3-18 months, often with the option to extend. This allows them the flexibility to react to changing consumer demands and gives them the ability to trial new concepts before making longer term commitments. This also provides benefits for the landlord, mainly by relieving them of business rates and service charge liabilities as well as driving added footfall to an estate or shopping centre – aiding the trade of neighbouring occupiers.
As with many other emerging leisure concepts, requirements from brands generally begin in London before moving on to other major regional cities. Notably, while many of the shorter term pop-ups tend to require fitted retail space, a number will also now consider vacant offices and industrial units. Additionally, operators with larger IPs will often look at locations outside of the prime pitch, given that they are destinations in their own right.
While many of these immersive concepts are relatively new, we don’t perceive this to be a short-term trend. It’s no secret that the consumer landscape has changed and, in fact, many of these brands have been founded by ex-corporates, aiming to capitalise on the shifting sands and the vacancies left behind from the demise of department stores. However, availability of such space in key locations will slowly die out as longer redevelopment plans come into play, and it is only then that we will truly see who is here to stay.
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