An Online Exchange for Landlords and Retailers Pops Up
A new online exchange called PopUpInsider.com matches landlords of vacant space with retailers and marketers looking to open temporary pop-up shops.
The site is billed as the first of its kind and was founded by Christina Norsig, a retail, technology and marketing expert; and Eric Michael Anton, an investment sales professional, both are based out of NYC. Norsig said she has extensive experience with pop-up shops, having been personally involved in the opening of more than eight during her career.
“Pop-up shops are not new, but we’ve never seen a market so ready for this type of retail experience,” Norsig said in a release. “Major brands and small retailers of all sorts have started using these temporary shops to increase visibility, create buzz and test products and locations. But until now, identifying and setting up space has been difficult and inefficient. PopUpInsider provides a single online marketplace and service that solves this problem.”
The site offers two services: an online exchange where landlords, or their brokers, pay to advertise vacant space and retailers view the listings for free. A “concierge service” offers a wide range of services to help users get the shops up and running.
The number of vacant commercial properties across the country has skyrocketed as a result of weakened economy while at the same time the price of commercial properties continues to decline, falling to 43% below peak prices during the last year.
