Opening a Pop-Up Store might seem spontaneous to consumers, but the planning process is anything but. Pop-Up Stores are great opportunities to test new markets, garner brand exposure, and sell merchandise. But to ensure your Pop-Up success, thinking about the technology that will help you run your store is critical.
Many of the retailers LightSpeed Retail works with have created a successful Pop-Up Store. Here are 6 Pop-Up planning technology tips we have learned through Pop-Up event-planning experience.
1. Have a hardware contingency plan
Bring back-up batteries, devices, and cables in case your technology fails you. Similarly, test your hardware beforehand so that on the day of your event, you know that everything is in place to process transactions smoothly.
2. Come prepared for flaky WiFi
Bring a 3G/LTE device that you can tether to ensure that you’re always connected and can process credit cards. If your mobile plan allows it, you can also use your iPad or iPhone as a mobile hotspot.
3. Bring tablets for line busting
You don’t want to get caught with a queue at the check out. Arm your staff with iPads to process transactions on the spot. With a cloud-based POS solution, the tablet becomes a portable terminal that can be taken to any location.
4. Always test in advance!
For any third party partner, such as a payment system company, make sure you do the leg work at least a week before you open your pop-up. New payment terminals may require an account to be set up for a new location—have them created and tested before your grand opening.
5. Make sure your POS has all products ready to go
With a cloud-based POS solution, accessing your inventory is as simple as logging onto your device on-site. Trust us, you don’t want to be uploading catalogues or renaming products on the morning your pop-up opens.
6. Promote your other locations
Turn one-time purchases into return shoppers by ensuring they’re aware of your online store and/or permanent locations. Include your site’s URL on everything—receipts, business cards, signage, and anywhere else you can. You may even want to set up a promotional code for customers who attended to encourage everybody to stop by the online store.
