How new technology is transforming an old idea

• Posted Mon 08 February 2016

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Pop-up retailing—sometimes called “flash retail” or “temporary retail”—is revolutionizing the retail industry as merchants look for new ways to connect with customers, build brand awareness, test new products and increase customer loyalty.

The big question is why?

The idea of pop-up retailing isn’t new. It’s as old as the ancient caravans. Back then, a group of merchants would travel an established trade route, stopping at each town along the way to set up a temporary market where they could sell their goods. After a few days, they would strike their tents, load their camels, and move to the next town. Today’s pop-up stores operate on the same principle. A merchant identifies an event or location that is likely to attract potential customers, sets up a temporary store, and keeps selling until either they run out of merchandise or customer interest starts to fade. Then, they look for the next opportunity.

What’s new about today’s pop-up retailing is the technology. That’s our business.

At Shopbox Retail, we apply state-of-the art technology to the time-tested practice of bringing products to wherever customers gather to create the world’s only go-anywhere, sell anything POS (point of sale) system. By providing custom retail solutions, we enable our clients to realize the benefits of pop-up retailing, which can include:

1. Targeting a niche audience

2. Building brand awareness and customer loyalty for new product lines

3. Testing new products and markets to gain valuable consumer insights without a big investment

4. Generating buzz about their business

5. Taking advantage of an agile business strategy that offers a flexible, cost-effective alternative or supplement to a permanent retail installation

6. Increasing revenue and reducing losses by selling surplus inventory that would be hard to move through traditional retail channels

7. Aggressively marketing products during high-intensity, low-duration retail periods related to specific events, holidays or seasons

8. Creating a sense of urgency with short-term sales events that pique customer curiosity and drive their desire to purchase merchandise while it lasts

We started Shopbox Retail in 2010. Our first customers were tent stores and small pop-up shops. Since then, we’ve improved and optimized our technology. Today, we offer compact, portable, rugged and fully integrated POS registers and handheld devices that leading retailers trust to manage high-volume stadium events, marathons and festivals where they host as many as 100,000 guests.

We believe all retailers should be able to sell anywhere, and all customers should be able to buy anywhere. Technology should make every sales experience easy, no matter where a transaction takes place—in the desert, in a stadium or in a mall.

As a result, our solutions don’t rely on Internet access, the cloud, or even external power sources. With Shopbox Retail, our clients know they can just open the box and be ready to create powerful retail experiences anywhere on the planet.