Pop Up Shops: The Future of The High Street

It is often reported that retail in UK town centre areas is on the decline. Compounded by the COVID pandemic, The Guardian reported in April that our high streets have lost a daily average of 48 shops, restaurants, and other leisure venues. Leaving numerous landlords and agents with a vast amount of vacant units.

In response to the issue, The Stamford Quarter in Altrincham have refurbished one of their vacant units with a flexible retail space, allowing short term leases to be secured, by optimistic retailers. The unit is prepared ready for tenants to move in and begin trading instantly.

We were recently asked to assist in giving the project an identity. We provided signage for the new pop up shop, for our client Bruntwood Works. Complete with an interchangeable light box in the front window to allow each tenant to have the name of their business on the entrance. The unit is in a great location in the middle of the venue. They have also set up separate social media accounts to assist each tenant with marketing their presence.

James Tootle, Head of Retail at Bruntwood Works, was recently interviewed by Today News and was quoted saying: “Brands will be able to drop into a ready-made store environment right in the heart of Altrincham. It’s all been designed for minimum fuss and maximum flexibility to allow businesses to focus on their product and customer experience”.

It is reported that the unit is fully booked for the next six months. A telling tale that this type of flexible retail space is very beneficial to both landlords and retailers alike.