Latest posts by Martin Moodie (see all)
Pop-Up Retail – A retail store that is opened temporarily to take advantage of a trend or a seasonal product. Demand for products sold in Pop-Up retail is typically short-lived. Pop-Up retail stores are found most often in the apparel and toy industries. – Investopedia
In retail, there are Pop-Ups and Pop-Ups. Some are little more than glorified kiosks or promotional stands, that often taint rather than enhance a store or airport environment.
Then there’s the way that Louis Vuitton does it. Last week in Hong Kong en route to an enjoyable lunch with John Monteiro, a key influence from the mid-60s in the rise and rise of Duty-Free Shoppers (now DFS), I chanced on the Louis Vuitton fragrance Pop-Up at the Landmark Atrium in Queen’s Road Central.
I call it an exhibition rather than a Pop-Up. Visitors can discover the complete collection of seven fragrances that comprise Les Parfums Louis Vuitton (the luxury house’s first fragrance range in 70 years). The scent were devised by Master Perfumer Jacques Cavallier-Belletrud, who spent several months travelling the five continents in search of “unexpected emotions”.
During the creation process, he referred frequently to a standing trunk in his office that houses over 100 ingredients used to inspire the collection. That same trunk has been transported to Hong Kong as part of the Pop-Up store, so that consumers can experience the lovely liquid and solid compositions that are blended into the Master Perfumer’s olfactory creation.
What a show-stopper. And I’m just talking about the Pop-Up not the fragrances, which are themselves winning rave reviews.
So, here’s a thought to close with. Given the unique international audience they attract, why are airports not used more often by brands for extraordinary installations such as this? Yes, I know there have been plenty of airport Pop-Ups. But I’ve not seen anything like this in scale or grandeur. A beautiful temporary landmark housed in an elegant permanent one.
