The new fad of pop-up businesses has revolutionized the way consumers shop, dine and find entertainment. The only problem is many people don’t know about pop-up opportunities until it is too late. A new company, Pop Up Republic is making sure everyone knows about these businesses. The social media marketing company is dedicated to helping consumers and brands find each other and focuses on pop-ups around the country. The official Pop Up Republic website features various businesses, brick-and-mortar spaces, a searchable directory of pop-up opportunities and an online store.
Some may be wondering what a pop-up business is. According to Pop Up Republic, “a pop-up is an establishment that is opened for a given period of time, then disappears after that time elapses. It can include any sort of business—a restaurant, store, service provider, entertainment—designed to promote a specific product or service to a group of people during a certain amount of time. Some pop-ups can last for just one day, while others can last a few months. While there is no set time constraint dedicated to pop-ups, the allure of them is their true concept—they appear, then disappear.”
Founded in 2012 in Boston, Pop Up Republic is now based in Chicago and is considered a leading service provider for the burgeoning pop-up industry. Social News Daily was able to talk with Pop Up Republic’s CEO, Jeremy Baras. He shared with us how his company is changing the the world, one pop-up at a time.
Baras believes consumers should pay more attention to these types of businesses. Big e-tailers, such as Amazon, Zappos, Zulilly and Ebay are opening pop-ups as a way to provide a touch-and-feel discovery experience for their customers. Pop-ups provide an opportunity for customers to become introduced to new brands, products, chefs and designers.
“Everyone has a hobby and pop-ups are an outlet to turn a hobby into a business,” Baras explains.
Not only does Pop Up Republic have a strong online presence with their website, the company has developed a mobile app. The app allows users to locate nearby pop-ups in mere seconds using their geolocation. The user can even filter results by city, address, name, category or timeframe.
“Some pop-ups are hard to find because they are designed to be clandestine, only for those ‘in the know,’” said Baras. “For those looking for exclusive pop-up events that might be of interest, there are currently more than 2,000 pop-ups listed on our directory and that number is expected to grow in the coming months.”
Other features of the app allow organizers of venues to add their pop-up to the online directory and create an online store in the app’s “PopUps Across America” section. Customers can link to “PopUps Across America” through the app to view and purchase unique goods from merchants all across the country.
A special section on the app allows property owners looking to promote their venues to view potential pop-up spaces. Conversely, merchants can search for traditional and non-traditional spaces that can be used for future pop-ups.
Baras says the app is the first of its kind for the industry.
“Users are able to immediately find pop-ups happening around their corner. Customers love new, unique experiences and pop-ups provide a ‘fear of missing out’ factor that customers crave,” Baras explains. “This app provides that and gives them information with just a few clicks.
While the Pop Up Republic app is only available for IOS users right now, an Android version will be in the works at some point.
Baras says there is a lot more exciting things in development for the company.
“We will also be adding many new, exciting features to the app over the next several months that will enhance the user experience and connect them further with their favorite brands.”
In a recent press release, the company hinted at the coming features. “Future planned app upgrades will include the ability to add a pop-up into the app itself, a “favorites” feature that allows users to bookmark pop-ups they find interesting and the release of the app on Android.
In the upcoming months, Pop Up Republic will be placing a large emphasis on the discovery process.
“Users want information instantaneously, and our job is to provide them with that knowledge, whether it’s information about a pop-up happening this weekend or something happening six months from now that they can get excited about.”
The app is one of the main focus of the company’s energy right now and Baras says it is for a good reason.
“Having a mobile presence has been our goal since we started the company in 2012,” said Baras. “Fans of pop-up stores, pop-up restaurants, farmers markets, food trucks, arts & craft fairs, dining events and yard sales, and anyone who is looking to connect with brands and once-in-a-lifetime experiences will be interested in this app.”
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