The Pop-Up Retail trend shows no signs of slowing down as Bob Dylan jumps on the Bandwagon

As previously reported on the blog, here at Barber we have produced several innovative pop-up retail store designs for clients such as Diesel and enjoy the unique playfulness of these temporary spaces which seem to be very much de rigueur in retail right now. It has been suggested that for some companies opening a pop-up retail shop is as much of a PR Exercise as an actual opportunity to sell products. We like to monitor this market trend and discuss the merits of the growing number of pop-up restaurants and shops, their effect on raising brand awareness and the influence of their window displays and innovative interior designs.

This week, Bob Dylan is one of the latest stars to jump on the pop-up retail bandwagon, opening three pop-up shops globally to coincide with the release of his thirty-fifth studio album, ‘Tempest’. The stores are located in New York, London and Los Angeles and are open for just seven days, enabling fans to purchase copies of the new album alongside other Bob Dylan releases and exclusive merchandise commemorating the week-long event.

In this age of convenient, instant music downloads you may be surprised to hear that shoppers in both the US and London were queuing around the block to buy copies of Tempest on CD and Vinyl. Each store contained several CDs signed by Bob himself, causing visitors to the pop-up retail store in New York’s Meatpacking district to queue from 4am until the doors finally opened (an hour later than advertised) at 5pm. The signed CDs sold out in 5 minutes for the same price as an unsigned copy. Evidently, the fans keenness to visit the store and buy something was compounded by a combination of their fondness for Bob Dylan, the very temporary nature of the store and the exclusivity of some of the items on sale. A winning combination for encouraging sales.

And what is this unique, limited-period shopping experience like? Ultimate Classic Rock describe it as having an ‘underwhelming atmosphere’ but ‘an enjoyable experience once the doors finally opened’. If you find yourself intrigued to go and check out one of Bob’s unique pop-up shops you only have a few days left – they are open daily from 11am until 8pm until Sunday 16th September.

You can find out more info about the pop-up shops on their official Facebook page.