A few months ago, Oakland Mall in Michegan announced they would be offering small startups & minipreneurs access to low cost/no cost kiosks as a way of creating a sense of excitement in the mall. The 12 72ft square kiosks are provided for the tenant and include display cases, counters & shelves. All the tenant has to do is complete the fitout to suit their brand for whatever period they want. The kiosks can be leased for as little as a weekend and can be used for mainstream brands seeking to test market a product or for the Ma & Pa operator or startup.
In a similar vein, KiosKiosk will be opening a series of “pop-up” retail sites through London, backed by the London Sustainable Development Commission. The first one is opening outside London’s City Hall through the summer and more will pop up around London & other areas around the country later. The KiosKiosk retail sites will be free rental.
Popup retail and giving access to startups & small operators is becoming more & more popular. Its not only great for these busineses but also for the Mall operators. Lets face it most Shopping Centres or retail areas are pretty boring after a while. You basically know what you’re going to see and its going to be those manufacturers or products which are mainstream enough to be able to afford the rents.
Nowhere is this more evident than at airports. Its pretty much the same old travel retail brands or, if you’re lucky, a handpicked selection of the most successful local brands/operators. Wouldn’t it be terrific if you could find something at the airport that you couldn’t find anywhere else? Wouldn’t it be terrific for a product with international aspirations but still small, to be able to get access to the international cross-section of travellers going through an airport?
The problem of course has always been with the rent. Airports are incredibly expensive things to run & build and there really isn’t much choice but to put in products which they know will sell well and deliver the revenue.
There is a way however that airports and other similarly expensive retail environments could afford to include some of this more dynamic retail. Consider what KiosKiosk have done where they’ve gotten funding from a government authority who wants to grow local business or indeed the export market. Consider also the possibilities of getting a space like this sponsored by a large retail outlet or department store who could consider the space as a way of test marketing up & coming product for potential inclusion in their store. That’s got an even better chance of flying (excuse the pun) if that retailer is either international or, say, a travel retail operator looking for potential expansion brands.
It is possible to do, you just have to think a little laterally about it.
