Hosted over three weeks in December 2024 at a storefront in London’s Soho, POP! showcased three emerging brands, each transforming the retail space into an immersive experience that celebrated their unique offerings.
POP! aimed to offer the brands an opportunity to interact directly with their fans, and to dip a toe into the world of brick and mortar. But the event also proved an effective sales-driver with over 1,600 transactions completed across three weeks in the store. POP! also boosted the brands’ social profiles with posts about the event from all three businesses receiving a 900k views across platforms.
The Beauty Crop created ‘Cropmas Wonderland’ offering access to exclusive products and after-hours events including beauty classes and wreath making workshops. Ning Cheah, Founder of The Beauty Crop said, “We can’t overestimate how valuable POP! was for us with the opportunity to receive detailed feedback from our fans, and to really get insights into customer behaviour and product performance in a retail setting. We were also able to test what our audience really wants from an in-person experience with us, and the popularity of our beauty masterclasses and spin-to-win game were undeniable! The learnings we took from POP! are already coming into play, as our great experience in December helped solidify our plans for more pop ups in 2025. We’ve just had the first of these – a Valentine’s Day themed experience in Covent Garden.”
AYM Studio created a magical escape giving customers personalised fittings and style advice, as well as a spectacular launch party featuring live jazz, canapés, and a catwalk. Their ticketed system allowed the brand to avoid overcrowding and offer fans a bespoke shopping experience. Alie Mackintosh, Founder & CEO of AYM said, “There is so much you can only learn from interacting with customers in person. POP! Really reinforced the importance of creating an uplifting, high-end experience. It was really exciting to give AYM fans the opportunity to try on the garments and to fall in love with the quality and texture, something you just can’t do online! We spoke to many people who’d followed us for years and hadn’t yet invested in a piece, with POP! being the clincher for them. And lots of people came with lists of specific products they’d seen online and wanted to try on.
“The absolute highlight was the beautiful atmosphere in the space. It was such a joy to see connections forming between strangers in the fitting rooms, with people complimenting each other, offering outfit advice, adding each other on socials, and leaving as friends! With POP! helping us dip our toe into in-person events, we’ll definitely be doing more going forward.”
Tom’s Trunks, a certified B-Corp brand, offered free repairs and hemming on its loungewear, demonstrating their commitment to sustainability and slow fashion. Tom Holmes, Founder of Tom’s Trunks said, “We’ve done outdoor pop-ups at festivals and the like, but this was our first ever brick-and-mortar pop-up, and the first event we’ve done in London. This time we were able to really focus on creating an intimate interior space, rather than a more practical outdoor shelter! We’re looking at opening a store in London this year, so this really helped us test the waters and we took so many learnings from the great experience. Thanks so much to the team at J&J for this great opportunity.”
Simon Wheeler, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer at J&J® said, “We couldn’t be more delighted with how well POP! turned out, and it was a pleasure to see how each brand completely revamped the space to make it their own. J&J are more than a fulfilment provider, they are truly a strategic fulfilment partner, they want to help clients grow and support that with the collaborations and partnerships they launch. The convenience and practicality of eCommerce is unbeatable, but customers are looking for multiple ways to connect with brands. We’re overjoyed to have been able to offer these exciting brands their first experience of brick-and-mortar retail. We’d like to thank the fantastic teams at The Beauty Crop, Tom’s Trunks and AYM for all their hard work in making this happen.”
POP! will be returning to the high street later this year.