Drawn to unique experiences and offers, consumers are checking out pop-up shops
		Twecipes challenge cooks in 140 characters or less
		If only those AIG execs had stayed at a Best Western. Watching the recent televised grilling of corporate CEOs by Congress about lavish corporate outings, we knew we had one unfolding right in front of us.

The Semi-Automatic is posh for vending machine

Do U Luv It?: E-tailers bring social shopping to their websites

3/50 Project is rallying consumers to support local indie retailers

Drawn to unique experiences and offers, consumers are checking out pop-up shops

It may seem that the only thing recently popping up in the retail world is more bad news, but resilient retailers are tempting shoppers with temporary stores. While consumers are cautiously watching their dollars, pop-up stores offer an escape from spending-as-usual (see also: restaurants, where pop-ups are a great way to play with cheaper theme nights). For retailers, pop-ups often make creative use of vacant or slow-traffic space. Some stores are created as temporary teasers to give shoppers a taste of the brand and merchandise. The Gap’s NYC concept shop rotates partner collections. In September 2008, the retailer hosted the trés chic Colette brand, and in January ’09 it showcased colorful Pantone goods. Pop-up shops can be educational events. For holiday season ’08, P&G created a live version of its brandSaver coupon book where shoppers got the opportunity to test the brand’s products through activities and samples. Method’s “Detox Your Home” tour set up trial-sized shops to let consumers learn about its chemical-free cleaners and swap their synthetic scrubbers for the brand’s green goods.

How do you celebrate the holidays? Pop open something fun. Lacy lingerie brand Hanky Panky set up a short-term NYC store to celebrate Valentine’s Day 2009. Sears Holdings launched ten temporary Totally Ghoul stores to sell Halloween necessities. Teen Vogue set up a temporary “store” in a New Jersey mall as a place for its young audience to socialize and discover cool products. The Teen Vogue Haute Spot shop stocked sponsors’ samples and directed potential purchasers to the brands’ mall locations. It launched as an ’08 holiday concept, but it’s reopening in spring ’09 due to teen demand. Traveling temporary shops go out of their way to connect with customers. Clothing label Iisli even created a store that can be retrofitted into an empty retail space. The nomadic “cube” carries its own lighting, dressing rooms and shelving. San Francisco-based Thread Lounge brings its sample sale to other urban areas for 1- to 2-week stints in vacant storefronts.

These stores may be temporary, but ISM believes they leave a lasting impression on their customers by giving them new ways to interact with brands and retailers. As consumers continue their search for value, pop-up shops can provide easy, fun, low-barrier ways for them to get to know your goods. As shoppers are stepping back from consuming, ISM sees pop-up shops as providing a sense of exclusivity, urgency and excitement. Product quantities and operation hours are limited, so unlike traditional retail formats, these shops don’t leave any time for customers to wait for a coupon to appear or a sale to roll around. You know the drill; so do they. Today’s shoppers know what to expect mall to mall, store to store and season to season. The pop-up concept breaks the monotony and there’s no reason why travel brands and destinations can’t take advantage of the same dynamic.

“Twecipes,” recipes shared on Twitter, are all the rage, with cooks shortening, sending and sharing their fave dishes to legions of foodie followers. Twitter users can send a list of ingredients to @twecipe (like rabbit, garlic and onion) and receive a recipe that uses those components (like Rabbit Stew with Coconut Cream). Among the busiest recipe sharers on the site is Maureen Evans (@cookbook), who condenses her favorite (and often complex) dishes into 140-character masterpieces before sending them to her 6,000+ followers—who relish in decoding her shorthand. Consumers are using social media tools like Twitter to further their passions, whether that’s sports, politics or food. These early (and even late) adopters enjoy leading the charge rather than taking cues from brands. ISM recognizes that there are plenty of places for consumers to get recipes online, but for hardcore foodies or just those with a sense of adventure, there’s something more fun about decoding the 140-character version of a favorite dish.

We’ve witnessed some interesting things spill out of vending machines in recent years—from sneakers to pharmaceuticals to bikes. The Mondrian South Beach hotel takes the concept a step up (way up) with the Semi-Automatic. The vending machine is loaded with more than 60 items ranging from $10 to $1.2 million. Objects for sale include staples like T-shirts and toothbrushes, but also high-end goods like golden cuffs, automobiles and even condos. Customers can view product images and purchase with the swipe of a credit card. For items big in both ticket and size, guests trade in a printed voucher to recive their purchase. Though ISM would heavily lean toward “slim” for the actual number of vehicle sales the Semi-Automatic produces, there is no argument that haute vending represents the epitome of access, freedom and convenience for buyers. Interesting vacation companions—whimsy and recession—aren’t often seen in company together these days.

Many e-tailers’ “Send to a Friend” option is the height of their social shopping offering, but Vans and JanSport are rolling out new online features so their customers don’t have to shop solo. Van’s virtual design-it-yourself shoe shop lets self-styled artists invite friends to collaborate and chat in real time within the page. They can also send pics of the customized kicks to their pals’ mobiles or inboxes. JanSport’s site is giving shoppers the option to post potential purchases to their Facebook pages to solicit feedback, approval and suggestions from friends. E-retailers that let customers consult with friends in real time create a seamless shopping experience that’s more akin to the collaborative nature of shopping together offline. ISM says travel planning is ripe for this same kind of dialogue. At a time when consumers are second-guessing purchases, ISM believes the ability to get a friend’s input quickly and conveniently could help some shoppers feel more confident in their decision to buy.

If half the employed population spent $50 each month at local indie-owned businesses, it would generate more than $42.6 billion in revenue—that’s the premise of the grassroots 3/50 Project. The effort believes shoppers can save their local economies by spending $50 apiece at three mom-and-pop shops. Its website (www.the350project.net) is mobilizing a marketing effort to get small stores and their shoppers involved in keeping their dollars in the community. Indie retailers can find resources like 3/50 Project logos for their websites, newsletters and brick and mortar stores. ISM believes the collapsing economy is causing more consumers to feel that it’s their civic duty to sustain local jobs by supporting independently owned businesses. They’re also shopping locally to ensure that small businesses stick around and continue to contribute to the diversity and culture of their cities.

© 2009 ISM and Iconoculture, Inc. All rights reserved.
Published monthly by ISM in partnership with Iconoculture.