Working with Spaciously
How Spaciously works
- We partner with retail venues to secure prime pop-up spots.
- You apply for the venues and dates that work for you.
- Once the venue approves your application, we share the information you need to prepare and run your event.
Why run a pop-up?
- To get new customers. We schedule pop-ups on the days when our partner stores get the most organic traffic. You will also have an opportunity to promote your event through your social media. This can help you convert customers who may be hesitant to buy online.
- To be memorable. Encourage customers to try your products and learn your brand story. Online, people might not understand you when you say your candle smells “divine” (and it does!). At a pop-up, they just get it. When shoppers run into your brand at a physical store, they remember it.
- To get feedback. Big brands test their products repeatedly (down to how smoothly your pocket zipper slides). Small brands can use pop-ups to collect customer feedback and "overhear" their genuine reactions to your products. Use the data from your pop-up sales to convince wholesale partners to work with you.
- To sell. While we can’t predict how much you will sell, we can guarantee that:
- We will keep our fees accessible so you can try different stores and locations to figure out what works best for your brand.
- We’ll recommend the locations that we think will work best for you.
What does a pop-up shop usually look like?
With Spaciously, your pop-up will run inside or right next to a popular retail store on their busiest day of the week.
You will get a table, which you will use to set up your products and run activities. Check our Instagram to see what pop-up events others have run.
Our partner stores typically host one brand at once. If you usually run joint pop-ups with other creators, just let us know when you sign up!
Why interactive pop-ups?
Interactive pop-ups require a bit of upfront planning but pay off on the day of the event.
- Customers are more likely to sign up for a workshop or an activity than for a sales event.
- Offering a free activity gives stores a reason to promote your pop-up to their customers.
- On the day of the event, activities create a psychologically safe environment for customers to approach your table even if they don’t intend to buy anything right away.
If you’ve ever set up a vendor table before, you know that sales can be awkward—even for the most extraverted people out there. An activity gives you a structured way to chat with your customers and build trust with them.
What pop-ups have others organized?
Creators in our network usually run activities related to their products or brand. Here are some examples (when you follow the links, click on “View Details” next to each event’s name):
Make your activities simple and cheap to run. If nothing comes to mind immediately, no worries! We recommend 3 steps to help you come up with an interactive event that’s right for you.
How do I book and prepare?
- Register your brand. It takes only a few minutes.
- We will add your brand to the Spaciously community. We’ll send you an email letting you know that you can start applying to pop-up spots.
- Apply for one or more pop-up spots. Make sure you pick the dates that you can commit to.
- We will run your application by our partner stores. It may take a few days to hear back from them but you can rest assured that they are reviewing your application.
- Once your application is approved, we’ll email you and ask for a fully refundable deposit to save your spot.
- We will put you in touch with the store and share marketing materials you can use to promote your event.
- To prepare for your pop-up, you will need to promote your event with your customers and think through your table setup and the activity you will run.
- Use the email thread with us and the partner store if you have questions or ideas.
- Make sure to check the start time for your pop-up and arrive on time.
How do I promote my pop-up?
You should absolutely promote your pop-up. Organic traffic is unreliable. No matter how well your event is designed, customers won't show up unless they know about it.
We will create and share marketing materials, including an Eventbrite link to your event.
Use your social media and mailing lists. Share your event with friends and ask them to invite their friends. Post on Facebook communities.
Our partner stores will also promote your pop-up among their customers to the best of their ability.
What happens at my pop-up?
- Check your pop-up hours and try to arrive 30 minutes earlier to give yourself enough time to set up.
- Come into the store and let one of the team members know that you will be running a pop-up.
- The team will show you around. They’ll point you to the areas of the store you can use (your table, the restroom). If you are unsure of anything at all, ask the team.
- Set up your table.
- Feel free to chat to customers walking through your area of the store. You are welcome to share your business cards and collect emails.
- Pop-ups typically run for 4-6 hours. You are welcome to stay after your pop-up is over as long as the store is open and the team is okay with it.
- At the end of the pop-up, wrap up your inventory and ask the team if they need you to move your table back to the storage room.
- Send us a quick message with your feedback and sales for the day.
Are pop-ups hard to run?
Your first pop-up will be a bit stressful because you will be in an unfamiliar environment with new people. That being said, the people working at our partner stores are exceptionally friendly and helpful. When you arrive, they’ll give you a quick tour of the store and answer your questions.
Make sure to come up with your vendor table setup and activity in advance. The more prepared you are, the easier your first pop-up will be. Once you run your first pop-up, the rest will be a breeze.
What do I bring to my pop-up?
Bring your inventory, price tags, props, and a point-of-sale. You do not need to bring tables or chairs.
Our partner stores usually provide vendor tables, chairs, and tablecloths. To see what furniture is available, check the description of your partner store page. If you need additional furniture for your pop-up shop (e.g. racks), let us know at the time of your booking. We will help you work with the store to see what’s available.
How do I set up my vendor table?
We recommend dividing your vendor table into two areas (more details here):
- the interactive area within your customer’s arm’s reach in the center of your table
- the product display area around the interactive area
How much inventory do I need?
If it’s your first pop-up event, the rule of thumb is:
- Bring enough products to fill the product area of your table.
- Make sure you are comfortable carrying your inventory and props. If your load is too heavy, bring less. Think two medium-sized suitcases. You can always adjust at future pop-up events.
As you run several pop-ups, you will get a sense of how much you sell on average and what items are popular.
Where do I park for my pop-up?
Most of our partner stores are located either on the busiest streets of your city or inside shopping centers. We recommend finding a spot where you can park for the duration of your pop-up. Since stores provide vendor tables, you won’t have to haul furniture. This means that your parking spot doesn’t have to be directly in front of your store. You can even use public transit if your inventory is light.
How do I collect payments at the pop-up?
You have two options to collect payments at your pop-up event:
- Use your own point-of-sale (POS).
- If you don’t have a POS, we can create a QR code that customers can scan to pay for your products at the pop-up.
How much does it cost to run a pop-up?
You can see the fee breakdown for each event on the event posting.
Most of our pop-ups have only a 20% commission with a $0 fixed fee (unless a partner store decided to charge a fee to cover their operational expenses). If you don’t sell anything, you don’t pay anything. We want you to be able to try different pop-up spots so you can figure out what works best for your products.
We collect a $50 fully refundable deposit once your event is confirmed. The deposit helps us save your spot and prevent last-minute cancellations, which reflect poorly on our partner stores. You will receive your deposit back once you run your pop-up.
How do I pay the commission?
At the end of your pop-up, send us a screenshot of your sales. We will send you the commission invoice, which you can pay online. Sales reports are trust-based, and we use your sales information to put your more often into stores that work well for you.
Can I cancel my pop-up?
When we get a cancellation request, the first thing we consider is the impact on pop-up customers. If the word is already out about the event, cancelling it hurts your brand, our partner store's brand and our ability to run events with that partner. That's why we ask that you commit to the date you are selecting. Always have a backup plan in case of emergencies (for example, you can send a friend to run the event for you).
If you applied to run an event, and the store hasn’t confirmed yet, send us an email at hello@spaciouslyretail.com
If we already confirmed your pop-up, we will keep your deposit and deprioritize your future applications—unless you find another person who can run a similar event or run the pop-up on your behalf.
Can I get a discount?
Refer another eligible brand, and you both will get a voucher to run an event of your choice for half the fee.
How to come up with an activity for your pop-up event
Interactive pop-ups are great when you want to create a fun environment for customers to learn about your products and brand. Here is how to come up with a fun activity that’s easy to execute.
- Step 1. Take a piece of paper and answer these questions:
- What products do you sell?
- What do your customers generally care about? (Do they want to be healthy? Do they want to take care of their family?) - Step 2. Use an AI tool to generate ideas.
- Go to ChatGPT.
- Type “Give me 20 options for an interactive pop-up inside a retail store. The pop-up will be run by a brand that sells [put your products here] and cares about [type your customer values here].” For example, you can ask about a pop-up for a brand that sells tea and cares about healing and spirituality. - Step 3. Filter out difficult and costly options. Choose a fun option that allows you to educate customers about your product.
- If you are still unsure what activity to run, email us at hello@spaciouslyretail.com.
How to design your vendor table
We’ve come up with a few simple rules to help you keep your vendor table organized while running an interactive event. Divide your table into two areas:
- the interactive area within your customer’s arm’s reach in the center of your table
- the product display area around the interactive area
Your interactive area should have everything for customers to try your products even if you step away from your table. Let’s say you are running a blend-your-own-scent pop-up. Try:
- A fun and flashy flyer that invites customers to try mixing essentials oils to create their own scent
- Clearly marked essential oil samples
- The list of essential oils with a brief description of their benefits
- A basket with clean mixing dishes
- A basket with used mixing dishes
- An infographic that explains what scents go well together
Even though you need to have quite a few things in your interactive area, we recommend keeping it organized and free of clutter. If your interactive area feels cluttered, make it a bit larger.
Your product area, on the other hand, should have more things to keep your customers interested:
- Your products with price tags. We recommend going vertical. For example, you can use a multi-tier organizer shelf to put your products at eye level.
- Your props, which we cover below.
Props are important to make your vendor table effective. There are four types of props you can use:
- Organizing props make it easy for your customers to understand what categories of products you offer. For example, if you sell jewelry, you can visually separate different collections by using jewelry dishes. Shelves are another example of organizing props.
- Informative props tell your customers about your products and your brand. Keep all information short and print it in big font to make it more readable.
- Suggestive props help your customers associate your products and brand with the right imagery. For example, if you are selling all-natural floral soap, you can put a lavender plant next to it.
- Functional props make it easier for customers to try your products. If you are selling makeup, your customer will need a mirror to try it.
Finally, some pro tips:
- Put all of your inventory on the table so you don’t have to dive for it during your event. If you can’t put your inventory on the table, keep it organized in a clear container next to you.
- Keep your point-of-sale on the table behind your product display for easy reach.
- Try your pop-up setup at home to see what it looks like and adjust.
