Pop Up Christmas Shops

[SamStones]

Hi All,

Ok, so I've been thinking about opening a "pop up" Christmas shop for a while now. I'd sell items such as artificial Christmas Trees, decorations, lights, silhouettes, tinsel, wrapping paper, cards & gifts etc etc Open sometime in November through to December, high footfall area in a busy town center.

I'm just wondering if anyone here has any experience in this market? I already do Christmas items via ecommerce so this would just be in addition to what I already do.


I have it all thought out in my head... but I'm interested in any opinions, advice, experience you can share on the subject. I've seen similar shops open in the vicinity in previous years but don't recall seeing any last year... perhaps because the concept didn't work? Locally we have the same company operating pop up fireworks shops every year, just not Christmas shops.

Thanks in advance.

Sam

 

[Indigo Cherry]

Hi All,

Ok, so I've been thinking about opening a "pop up" Christmas shop for a while now. I'd sell items such as artificial Christmas Trees, decorations, lights, silhouettes, tinsel, wrapping paper, cards & gifts etc etc Open sometime in November through to December, high footfall area in a busy town center.

I'm just wondering if anyone here has any experience in this market? I already do Christmas items via ecommerce so this would just be in addition to what I already do.


I have it all thought out in my head... but I'm interested in any opinions, advice, experience you can share on the subject. I've seen similar shops open in the vicinity in previous years but don't recall seeing any last year... perhaps because the concept didn't work? Locally we have the same company operating pop up fireworks shops every year, just not Christmas shops.

Thanks in advance.

Sam

Hi Sam,

There's at least one Christmas Shop in every town around this time of year so no doubt it works! But maybe that is the problem? At least where I live in Kent, there seems to be LOADS of them! Even now with 7 weeks left to Xmas!

But if there is none where you are, I say go for it! People are ALWAYS looking for good value Xmas decs/cards/wrapping paper etc...

Matt

 

[FreeLettersFrom]

A friend of mine used to do this every Christmas in our town until he moved abroad (with all his moolah!) a few years back.

He used to get all his stuff from market trader suppliers in Birmingham and other contacts he had. He bought loads of cheap stuff throughout the year and stored it away in lock ups.

He had the gift of the gab and all that and usually landed a prime spot shop for a good price a month or so before Christmas. Even in the 'boom' times there was always somewhere going. Now I bet you could negotiate a really good knock down rent for a few weeks as there's plenty empty. Well there is in our town!

Didn't really talk cash with him but I know he made a killing every year and he was never shy getting the drinks in. He used to get a couple of people in to till it and just restock at the end of the day. He wasn't even bothered that loads used to get shoplifted as he bought it so cheap anyways!

Well worth doing if you can get the premises at a good price.

 

[Indigo Cherry]

I say go for it! We all want cheap xmas gear

 

[SamStones]

Thanks for the replies so far, good to hear that other towns do have these shops. Keep the replies coming...

 

[oliver3487]

anyone know any numbers for this sort of venture?
Have a empty high street shop under one the my offices, might give it a go.

 

[SamStones]

anyone know any numbers for this sort of venture?
Have a empty high street shop under one the my offices, might give it a go.

No idea. From my rough calculations (in my head) my business plan doesn't see me making a profit till year 2. I think it's far too late for this year as it needs a lot of planning - most wholesalers are out of stock already for this year as no one wants to get stuck with it.

 

[14A]

One thing to note is the lease - You dont want it for long! I'm sure the local shopping center will do a short term one, otherwise its just another empty shop in the busiest time of the year!

 

[dlitc78]

Each year in my city there are one or two of these shops, often in the same premises each year, being taken over by other funny cheapo shops for the rest of the year, then becoming a Christmas shop again in November.

 

[oliver3487]

after thinking about it, i cant see it makeing enough of a profit to be worth it. might be wrong though.

 

[SamStones]

Totally not my field, but would it not be better to start buying early next year as surely even wholesalers want to get rid of their christmas stuff to make way for new lines etc.. Just a thought

Interesting idea however , in my opinion it works thus:

Wholesalers will reduce items immediately before Christmas.
The won't reduce to less than cost in most cases as they don't want to make a loss, they may as well just hold onto it till next year.
Any items that are in the sale won't be the best sellers - they'll have sold out months before.
Even if you do get the stock at cost, you have got to hold onto it for 10 months before (hopefully) turning a profit. Surely there's got to be items you can buy and sell many times over in these 10 months giving you a better ROI.
The super markets and the likes of Card Factory make it even harder.

Leases on the shops is something else to consider altogether....

Despite all this, people still open these shops, so they "must" work? I just think it needs an awful lot of planning to have a chance of working, and you need to take a long term view on it...

 

[jane p]

we have a few in our town. I dont think you need too many.