1st PopUp Britain shop launched in Richmond
Today StartUp Britain launched PopUP Britain, an initiative to assist small online businesses to get their first taste of running a retail outlet.
Many online only retailers would love to open a high street outlet, but the reality is that the costs are often prohibitive, and that’s if a landlord will rent to a new business in the first place. PopUp Britain have opened a retail outlet directly across from Richmond Upon Thames railway station hosting six new retailers every two week. The store will be open for three months and every fortnight six new entrepreneurs will get the opportunity to rent space in the shop.
The aim is to utilise empty shop premises in high streets up and down the country and rejuvenate the complexion of the UK’s flagging high street, while providing start-ups with an opportunity to co-fund the cost of opening up an empty shop. Costs for retailers a minimal at around £135 for the fortnight with AXA providing a short term retail insurance at just £25 for the two weeks.
If you’d like to find out more about PopUp Britain or maybe even rent the shop for your own goods you can find more details on the PopUp Britain website.
The first six entrepreneurs in the Richmond shop are:
Maria Allen Jewellery is a British jewellery brand that features intricate vintage illustrations on cherry wood.
Bertie & Jack who design clever, cool and kooky artwork which features animal and bird cut outs with contemporary colourful prints.
Morrows Outfitters, a Liverpool-based sock designer supplying high-quality tailored socks made in England.
Vulpine, stylish technical cycling apparel design company that produces stuff you can wear on and off the bike.
ElephantBranded bags, for every purchase they’ll also donate a school kit (an ergonomically designed rucksack with lots of pens and paper) to children in Africa and Asia.
and Tier One, a snappy British clothing brand who brings a top-notch, versatile look that is effortlessly stylish.
davelovesebay says
1:30 pm on 23/07/2012
This is an excellent idea and if my tax payments go towards more ideas like this id be happy.
As opposed to what it seems to currently going on…
st georges dragon says
2:05 pm on 23/07/2012
Shops and High streets are things of the past,[unless your a charity shop or a fast food outlet]
they can pop up as many shops as they like, it will do no good
when a click of a mouse has it delivered to your door
Chris says
4:20 pm on July 23rd, 2012
I suspect that there are still people(probably a very large number of people) who still want to look and feel something before they buy it. Small Retailers and Manufacturers are always going to have a problem on line. Unless their goods are standard off the shelf types many will stay with the brands. A shop like this may allow the buyers to look and feel and hopefully buy.
While it is true that On Line is the current fashion it is likely that there will be future fashions. One of which might be to go back to using our High Streets. In which case an idea such as this might be very useful.
But there is another point. Small Retailers and Manufacturers can learn a great deal from the “Face to Face” Feedback from Buyers. This is difficult if not impossible on line. So it could be that these young businesses might learn a great deal and hopefully refine their product and improve their sales techniques. It is certainly a good idea.
st georges dragon says
4:36 pm on July 23rd, 2012
yep they will learn a great deal!
mostly that you cant turn a pigs lug into a silk purse simply by joining some government scheme, or gaining a grant
Lee Pearce says
2:50 pm on 23/07/2012
I used to say that i was a High street retailer with an online presence, now i am an Online retailer with a High street Presence.
When we looked at moving off the High Street to a warehouse or equivalent, i found that the rent/rates were not much different so we stayed put and mangaged to convince the landlord to sell the building to us.
Lee
Chris says
4:10 pm on 23/07/2012
Its tragic that so many High Streets across the Country are now mainly populated by Charity Shops, Estate Agents, Insurance Agents, Fast Food Shops and of course Closed and boarded up Shops. It might work to bring in a few more people and a few more Stores(even if only for 2 weeks at a time)
I must say that I wonder if 2 weeks is long enough. It is likely that only a small percentage of the local population will even know that a particular outlet is there and if they do know it has closed and been replaced by some other trader before they have time to visit it a second time.
However it is an interesting experiment. I wish it the best of luck and I hope that it succeeds
Gerry007 says
12:02 am on July 24th, 2012
.
I agree with the 2 week thing. Many would be buyers will come back in weeks, if not a month or so.
Only to then find the shop they wanted is not there will be a disappointment.
TO SHORT A TIME for each Lease.
Chris says
9:40 am on July 24th, 2012
I was looking again at the list of the first entreneurs going into the “Pop-up-Shop”. At least one of them probably has the potential to see their business develop and grow. I’m not so certain about some of the others.
But lets say that I have been a customer during the 2 weeks. I like the product and go back for some more. They have closed up and gone because their 2 weeks is up. How do I get in contact with them?
I hope the management of the “Pop-up-Shops” keep a comprehensive Contact Register for each of their previous occupants. After all the Shop is in Richmond and one of the tenants is Liverpool Based. So such a register could be useful.
May I make another suggestion. That the management of the shop develop an scheme for follow up shops. These being where the successful tenants from the “Pop-up-Shop” can go to. These shops being larger and better equipped and where the tenants can have say a 6 month tenancy.
Then if they are successful there they can hopefully go on to finding a permenant shop somewhere. Obviously if they fail(as st georges dragon probably suspects that many will) they can go back to the drawing board.
Dan Wilson says
10:34 am on July 24th, 2012
Or when you buy, the seller can give you a flyer with their web address on.
Gerry007 says
2:06 pm on July 24th, 2012
.
I would certainly expect any entrepreneurs involved in any temporary sites [the same applies to all the exhibitions that are put on around the country, ideal Home, Pop up Shops, etc] to simple hand out all contact information for future reference.
If they don’t, then they are not worth their Salt……
Chris says
2:17 pm on July 24th, 2012
You are of course correct. But people lose such as Cards or Catalogues and anyway where they go might be dependant on how well they do during the 2 weeks. So if you visit on the first few days they may not know where they are going to. But towards the end of the 2 weeks they may be very pleased with the response and be actively looking for a new home.
Even if they are actively looking for a new home there is no guaranntee that they will have found it and have negotiated a lease. So I would still hope that the management of the Pop-Up-Shop will keep as register of contact details.
Gerry007 says
4:01 pm on July 24th, 2012
.
All the above first entrants have established websites, which can quickly & easily be updated.
Notice also, I wrote ‘contact information’.
Everyone, even the really youngest of businesses/Co’s, have some contact info, even if it’s a Home # to start off with…
Of course it would be in Popup Shops interest to retain & possibly display any information on previous tenants to everyone coming into it’s shops.
davelovesebay says
11:33 pm on 23/07/2012
I dont think the high streets been killed by the internet. If it was then massive supermarkets wouldnt be selling, Electronics, garden stuff, Car oil, etc etc.
The fact is small high streets have been killed by super market chains, Even seen what happens to a high street when a tesco is opened say 2 minutes away or across the road.
Now we have placed like comet and dixons opening out side of high streets.
The rape of high council rates, rents and restrictive planning pushed big business away from high streets and as usual boy did they do a good job destroying where theyd been pushed out from.
It dies,very very slowly and all that remains is food joints, the pound shop, nail shops and other bits.
The internet has changed alot of things things but killing the high street is one crime it didnt commit.
Gerry007 says
12:15 am on 24/07/2012
.
If this catches on, it will be copied by the supermarkets offering space in their bigger out of town stores.
I must say though, having spent many years in Manufacturing, with retail, the costs now associated with any reasonable presence on a decent high street is so exorbitantly High.
This is one reason why independents simply cannot afford to be there.
I know a local £1+ shop who with the Rent [£80k] + Rates [£45k] + staff [probably £60k] +, +, + has to take over £12k per week just to break even, and that’s not a massive shop, probably only 1800 sq ft.
Footfall is King……
st georges dragon says
7:52 am on July 24th, 2012
rates and costs sre why high streets are becoming charity shop malls
charity shops have a very unfair advantage
Dan Wilson says
1:01 am on 24/07/2012
Where I live, Brighton and Hove, the number one complaint I hear very often from shopkeepers and restaurants is the issue of rent. And that’s on top of other costs and sometimes very punitive local business taxes.
The Pop-Up shop thing is a gimmick, but a worthwhile one. I don’t much agree with that Mary Portas on a lot of things but she is right that if you can draw more people make to the High Street then the rest follows.
Chris says
9:22 am on July 24th, 2012
There is another point about getting people back on the High Streets and that is Car Parking. Go to an out of town Superstore and you can park for free(even if many have a maximum time limit). But go to your local High Street and the Car Parking is massively expensive. Also if you break(even by a very small margin) any one of the multitude of rules and regulations. There will be a “Traffic Warden”(Whatever they call them these days) ready with a pen and book of tickets to slap a fine on your car.
Then to show how much the Local Council really wants you to shop in the High Street every year the Car Parking Charges go up and the rules, regulations and fines increase dramatically.
Then finally having driven the shoppers away by their actions the Local Council starts to cry crocodile tears and wringing its hands and saying how disasterous it is that 50% of the shops have closed and are now Charity Shops. When that has been their policy all the time(real policy is what they do not what they say)
st georges dragon says
11:41 am on 24/07/2012
truth be told this pop up shop thing is just another charity shop
whirly says
4:35 pm on 24/07/2012
I don’t get it?
You fork out a couple of hundred pounds to rent out a shop for 2 weeks, you then spend £x stocking the shop only to be kicked out when the 2 weeks are up, then what?
Hopefully Tamebay get to interview one of these 6 lucky businesses after the first 2 weeks are up and all will become clear.
Chris says
7:32 pm on July 24th, 2012
If you were to be one of the lucky 6 in one of these shops would you actually need to spend £x on stock? I would guess that most of us could stock up a sixth of a shop from our normal stock. I know that I could.
But there is the rest of it. You would need advertising material. Probably specialist shelving/display cabinets(the shop is likely to be equipped with fairly general standard units-not always totally applicable for every tenant).
Then there is the need to get everything in and everything out. Chances are that “Handover” day will be Sunday. 6 x vehicles turning up to take the stock etc of the previous tenants out and 6 x vehicles to bring in the stock etc of the new tenants.
Chances are the Traffic Wardens(most towns have them on duty Sunday) all looking to book every vehicle as they are no doubt on bonus for every ticket issued.
No doubt the Local Council has expressed its support for the experiment but will not cancel any tickets issued.
As to the stock. Will the tenants have a “Closing Down Sale” just before they leave? If so then every 2 weeks there will be a “Closing Down Sale”. Once the local population realise this they will ignore the Shop until the last day or so.
I support the idea but there are potential problems which I wonder if the promoters have thought through?
whirly says
8:04 pm on July 24th, 2012
“If you were to be one of the lucky 6 in one of these shops would you actually need to spend £x on stock? I would guess that most of us could stock up a sixth of a shop from our normal stock. I know that I could.”
I meant, a cost was involved in taking stock to the store, having staff in place etc on top of the £200 ish you would be charged to rent the shop for two weeks.
Chris says
7:52 am on July 25th, 2012
I thought that was what I said about the costs of getting the stock to the shop. As far as Staff is concerned. I wonder if it is worthwhile taking on staff for 2 weeks. Probably you would take your existing staff (in a 1 person business you might have to round up a friend or relative-wife perhaps?)
But remember its not a shop its one sixth of a shop. So its not much more than a Stall that I used to operate single handed every weekend at a Traction Engine Rally.
This should be operable with one person. The only problems would be meal and comfort breaks. But on Traction Engine Rallies the first thing I did when I set up was to get to know the neighbouring Stall Holders on each side. Often I already knew them because I had done so many Rallies over so many years as they had.
So when I needed to go for a comfort break they covered for me and when they needed one I covered for them. Same with food breaks. Invariably you always picked Quiet times. So if the shop was full of potential customers you crossed your legs and then when they left(having hopefully bought something) you took your comfort or meal break. But it tended to last just a few minutes. Just long enough to dash to the loo or food truck. Again before you dashed out you always looked to see if there was a queue.
But with a bit of give and take it worked. Extra Staff for 2 weeks would need some form of training. Not really worthwhile for such a short time. So I would just about always advise running with existing staff.
elvis says
11:52 pm on July 26th, 2012
hey Chris, do you still attend Rallies?
I always used to go to Dorset, and St. Agnes.
Chris says
10:36 am on July 27th, 2012
Hi elvis. No I haven’t done a Rally for several years. I have a lower back problem as well as being asthmatic. Each year it got a little harder to do Rallies and eventually I decided that enough was enough.
As for Dorset I never did that one. Mainly because it is just too big to even try to do single handed. St Agnes I did a few times but it clashed with the Bristol Bus Rally. I live only a few miles from St Agnes yet I found that I took enough at Bristol to pay for the extra mileage and the extra costs and still make a considerable profit over doing St Agnes(on top of which the Management Team at Bristol were totally Professional and Friendly-neither of which could be used to describe St Agnes who were great right up to the moment when anything went wrong when they did not want to know-even if it was their fault- as it usually was).
I often wish that I could do the Rallies again but I know that my back will not take it(recently had back and chest X-rays that confirmed the severity of the problems).
So I have to restrict myself to ebay. Or at least until I get my stock down to reasonable levels when I will retire.
elvis says
11:48 pm on 26/07/2012
If the government want high streets thriving again. they need to introduce permanent tax breaks for high street retailers and reduced vat. Councils also need to reduce rates for high street retailers. We’ve been wanting to open on the high street since 2006 but everytime we review it the figures just don’t stack up, and you’re crippled before you’ve even started.
Chris says
10:53 am on July 27th, 2012
Business Rates are not the preserve of Local Councils. However they should be reduced especially for small businesses. However one problem that could be sorted very quickly would be the way that Business Rates are calculated.
There is a formula based upon the number of feet from the frontage. So in a large Superstore it can often mean that the Business Rates per square foot of selling space is actually less than the comparable cost for a small shop. This is because the Superstore being that much larger has a considerable floor space in lower rated areas than a small shop where all the space is in the highest rated areas close to the frontage.
Small shops and especially small shops in their first year or two of opening should enjoy a Business Rates Holiday and all Small Shops should have a Business Rates based upon their actual turnover rather than a fictional guess. Also their trade should be taken into account. So a Wool shop selling knitting wool to housewives should not be paying the same Business Rates as say an expensive Jeweller.
But there is one area that Local Councils can make a significant impact. That is in regard to Car Parking. The customers have to be able to park at a reasonable cost near to the shops. Currently every Council seems determined to charge an arm and a leg for parking.
Also many out of town Superstores have loading areas where heavy or bulky items can be loaded. When did you last see such an area in town? So you want to buy a large, heavy or bulky item in town you have to struggle with it to the car-often parked a long way from the shop. Or of course get the shop to deliver-not all do free deliveries or only within so many miles of the shop-a problem for those living in remote rural areas.