Retail: Luxury pop-up stores take off on the Gold Coast

It’s not a new idea, but these luxury retailers are taking a popular shopping centre trend to new levels in a bid to woo Gold Coast shoppers. SEE WHAT’S ON OFFER >>>

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POP-UP luxury stores like the Louis Vuitton shop at Pacific Fair are becoming more prevalent as retailers seek new ways to engage consumers in the Covid era.

Temporary pop-up spaces in shopping malls have been around for 14 years and can be erected for up to 180 days.

QUT Business School professor Gary Mortimer said it was critical that luxury brands found new ways to engage with the domestic market since international travel was restricted.

“Experience is just as important as product in the luxury space and pop-up retail enables brands to connect with shoppers, providing the same feel as shopping in store,” Prof Mortimer said.

The Louis Vuitton pop up store at Pacific Fair

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Craig Stewart, the general manager of Gold Coast cabinet-making business PQI Group, said luxury brands were increasingly asking for pop-up stores.

PQI constructed the 90sq m Louis Vuitton pop-up store at Pacific Fair, which opened in April at a cost understood to be about $250,000. It will be dismantled in June and relocated to another mall.

Its first pop up was for Bulgari at a Sydney shopping centre in November 2019.

“Pop-up stores are often used by leading fashion and luxury brands internationally for brand promotion and we are seeing that becoming increasingly popular in Australia and smaller businesses and Australian brands doing the same,” Mr Stewart said.

The Louis Vuitton pop up store at Pacific Fair

“Economically there is less risk implementing a pop-up strategy and short-term leases make them a more affordable retail offering.

“We are now working on developing a 50sq m pop-up for a major brand that will be installed in Sydney, then be moved to Melbourne, come back to Sydney and then go on to Perth.”

Destination Gold Coast CEO Patricia O’Callaghan said it was encouraging retailers were able to provide new shopping experiences for the inbound domestic market.

“We have first-class facilities, infrastructure and retail spaces in southeast Queensland, particularly on the Gold Coast, so it’s great to see businesses embracing the pop-up store concept,” she said.

Louis Vuitton pop up store launch at Pacific Fair

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Shopping Centre Council of Australia executive director Angus Nardi said pop-up retailing had become a standard feature of shopping centres.

“They offer several retailer and consumer benefits such as providing a lower cost and short-term opportunity to test new products and markets, and enabling the first physical presence for start-up businesses or pure-online retailers,” Mr Nardi said.

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