Why There Are Pop-Ups for Everything Now
The term pop-up, most often used to mean a small, temporary shop for selling or showing off products, first cropped up in the early 2000s. It’s since been applied far beyond traditional retail. There are pop-up pizzerias, Game of Thrones bars, concert-merch outlets (followed by pop-up concerts), Pop-Tarts bars, cat cafés, even—for pop-ups need no longer be material—pop-up email newsletters.
Where did pop-ups come from, and why are they so abundant now? Even as commercial rents soar, forcing many urban storefronts to close, large brands are noting brick-and-mortar’s advantages and the wide possibilities for consumer data–tracking in the real world.
But first, some necessary taxonomy: There are two types of pop-ups, one homegrown and one more corporate. The former involves, say, a lone to promote its new internet-connected speakers; Bulgari invites models to a in Paris.
