Stand-out stand: Unique ideas for a pop-up shop

How do you get customers to come your way? You make them look your way first, of course! Whether in a busy bazaar or a quiet mall corner, get people’s attention, curiosity, and patronage with a unique pop-up shop.

First of all, what is a pop-up shop? A pop-up shop (or “store,” “stand,” etc.) is a temporary retail set-up. Many brands and businesses open pop-up shops during events like bazaars, festivals, conventions, and more. This way, they get to engage with customers in a way that’s different from what’s business-as-usual, giving buyers a unique, often interactive experience to encourage their patronage.

And even for the seller, pop-up shops can be pretty exciting. But before you buy, rent, or sign any contracts, it’s important to lay the groundwork for your pop-up stand to succeed.

Create a plan that covers everything you need, from the design or planned activities for visitors to more mundane things like the logistics of renting space and coming up with table ideas for your pop-up shop. When in doubt, you can also list guide questions for yourself like the purpose of your pop-up shop, your budget, materials needed, and more.

Now comes the fun part: visualizing your space, then decorating it! The former requires a little bit of research and a lot of creativity. There are plenty of resources to help you out, including ready-made design templates on Canva.

Begin by conceptualizing your pop-up store. What do you want to achieve with your stand? What kind of experience do you want to give your customers? Visualizing the vibes of your stand can help you decide on a theme, which, in turn, lets you know what materials and things you need for your pop-up shop.

Here are some unique outdoor pop-up shop ideas you can use to attract attention to your brand and business:

If you want your pop-up shop to be as sweet as candy, you should incorporate elements that give off that sugary goodness. Bright and bubbly colors, especially in pastel shades, can be reminiscent of bubblegums or cotton candy and give your pop-up a light, airy feel that often goes well with products typically marketed to younger audiences.

Making clever use of relevant visual elements also helps. For example, displaying your products on cake stands, teacups, or cup plates to emulate the look of a tea party can make them more eye-catching than simply laying them out on a table.

Create custom posters to reflect your brand’s cute and sweet aesthetic. Posters can be printed on durable material, ideal for outdoor stands and booths. Banners can also attract passers-by and encourage them to pay your business a visit. Make sure to design your pop-up shop banner in playful colors, with your brand name and logo visible from afar.

To save yourself a trip to a nearby print shop, you can order professional prints of your design directly via Canva Print. All you need to do is wait for them to arrive at your door, ready for display!

Another way to capture the crowd’s attention is to honor the spirit of the theme — then take it to the next level.

For instance, if you’re selling at a Christmas market, a good pop-up shop set-up idea would be one that looks like Santa Claus himself had been the one to open shop. If you’re at a local country fair, feature traditional elements of the region like local craftsmanship or even the local traditional costume (being respectful of any cultural artifacts, of course).

If you’re at an anime, comics, or entertainment convention, make it feel like your customers have been transported to another world by making your stand look like the setting of your chosen series. Consider adding interactive elements like a standee, photobooth, or costumes visitors can try out.

Out-of-this-world concepts are not the only way to make your pop-up shop stand out. Even with classic, traditional designs, you can still pop out from your competitors.

The secret is keeping everything high-quality and professional. Where before you made do with a simple sign written on a chalkboard or basic leaflets you made on Word and had photocopied, now, consider upgrading your designs with platforms like Canva.

Canva has thousands of ready-made templates that are fully customizable, so even if you don’t have professional design experience, you can still create high-quality marketing materials guaranteed to bring people over.

Making flyers for your pop-up shop is an easy yet powerful way to spread the word about your products and services. Hand them out to passers-by or stick them on your local bulletin board. You can also put your business cards onto customers’ shopping bags or display them front and center of your table set-up, so they can quickly grab one after they make a purchase.

One step in learning how to do a pop-up shop is knowing how to grab customers’ attention and get their involvement. When you add an interactive element to your booth, you add another reason for customers to visit other than simply checking out your goods. Not only do they have a reason to stay at your pop-up stand longer, but you are more likely to stand out in their mind, even after the event has ended.

Interactive elements can be fairly low-budget, like a photo booth that aligns with your theme. Things like a Christmas corner, Candyland, or a scene from the series or show you’re supporting can be a fun little stop for visitors and encourage them to stay in your stall for longer.

In addition, when they take pictures, there’s a good chance they will also upload those to their social media, giving you a much wider reach. Having your social handles ready for customers to tag or their friends to see on their photos can tremendously help spread the word about your business.

Draw even more attention to your pop-up by hosting games where you can give out discount vouchers to encourage new customers. Easily design your own coupons with the help of Canva. Custom stickers and stylish tote bags also do a dual job of satisfying the winners and spreading awareness of your brand.

Pop-up stands are a great way to do business. And just like any business strategy, you need to stand out from your competitors.

Don’t just be another stall in the street. Now you know how to start a pop-up shop, level it up with unique designs and gimmicks guaranteed to capture people’s attention and win them over. Create a pop-up shop that reflects your brand’s personality, whether it’s cute and sweet, thematic or out-of-this-world, classic, or interactive.

Canva’s customizable design templates are just what you need to produce high-quality, eye-catching paraphernalia — even without any design background on your part! Browse our templates today and launch a one-of-a-kind pop-up stand!