Whether you’re an established brand looking to test the waters of a new market, or a small business looking to gain traction in your local market, a pop-up is a great way to expand your reach.

Walmart is now offering small businesses the opportunity to lease space within its stores through a strategic partnership with pop-up shop marketplace platform Popable. Through the deal, brands and spaces can list on Popable’s website, then be paired with their local participating Walmart store to sign a short-term lease.

Retailers are increasingly turning to pop-ups and specialty retail as an alternative to traditional long-term leases. This trend is often referred to as the “pop up economy,” and it’s a growing market, valued at $50 million by research firm RetailNext. It applies to everything from art museums to celebrity merchandise and online mattress companies, and it’s a way for big retailers to make room in their stores for smaller emerging digitally native brands that are ready to take the plunge into brick-and-mortar retail.

As more and more consumers avoid long-term commitments, it’s increasingly important for retailers to find ways to attract new customers while retaining loyal ones. That’s why many of the largest retailers in the world are now offering curated digital marketplaces and specialty pop-up stores to give newcomers a chance to enter the brick-and-mortar retail landscape.

Specialty retailers like Macy’s and Kohl’s have partnered with brands to offer special retail experiences within their stores that are curated based on data from social media. Dollar General opened two Nashville locations last year that

function

as a “store-within-a-store.”

The newest addition to this trend is Walmart, which has teamed up with the Houston-based pop-up shop marketplace to rent out space within its stores to small and medium-sized brands on short-term leases.Through the Popable partnership, brands can list on the Popable site, then be paired popable with their local Walmart to sign a short-term lease that can range from one month to a year, and could eventually grow into longer-term agreements.

This is a welcome move for both small and large retailers, as it offers them an innovative, convenient way to offer a variety of unique product options in their stores without the burden of committing to long-term leases. It’s a win-win for both parties, and it’s another step in the ongoing recovery of small retailers from the impact of COVID-19, which hit the industry hard earlier this year.

Why would a brand consider leasing a pop-up?

Besides the obvious revenue-generating reasons, there are several other benefits to leasing a temporary space. The most obvious one is that it gives you an opportunity to ^generate buzz and build brand recognition in a short amount of time.

But it can also be a valuable test ground for your brand and products, allowing you to see how customers react in the real world before making a larger financial commitment. You can also use the feedback you get from in-store visits to improve your products and packaging, display, branding, and other key elements of your business

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