The Jamaica Tourist Board's recently organized its first interactive pop-up shop in New York City to provide visitors with the tastes and culture of the Caribbean island. The four-day event, called “Feel the Vibe Pop-Up Shop,” took place at 393 Broadway(SoHo/Chinatown) and was open daily from noon to 8pm.
Just in case the term does not resonate, it is a temporary retail event that is “here today, gone tomorrow.” “Pop-up retail is the temporary use of physical space to create a long term, lasting impression with potential customers. A pop-up shop allows communication of a brand’s promise to customers through the use of a unique and engaging physical environment while creating an immersive shopping experience.” Some of the benefits of the pop-up shop include: engaging and educating new customers. Visitors are able to physically see and feel a product before they actually make a purchase. Apparently, that tangible option “makes the shopping experience very enticing for consumers.”
The “Feel the Vibe Pop-Up Shop” transformed the Broadway location into Jamaica, complete with a beach area. Outside, ladies offered cool coconut water and a concoction of ginger and mango juice. Inside, palm trees, tropical foliage, flower walls, a wooden runway, sand barge, large hammock, bar, and food space created a “Feel the Vibe” island atmosphere. Bob Marley’s captivating smile adorned a wall, while scripted tales of the uniqueness of the island decorated bricks, panels and spaces left bare from the black, green and gold banner.
The event offered gift baskets, gift certificates, concert tickets, and trips for two to Jamaica with accommodations included, food items and other products from the island, lunch-time cooking demos, a daily Jamaica patty hour, a mini fashion show by New York-based Jamaican designer Glenroy March, and music from DJ Norie of Power 105.1 FM, DJ Dub Master Chris of Irie Jam Radio, and LargeUp’s Dave “DJ Gravy” Susser. Glenroy March (The House of D’Marsh) was perhaps the most aggressive retailer at the site. He maintained constant presence throughout the four-days and engaged shoppers and curious patrons who wanted to learn more about his products, the island and its offerings.
Sonia Chin, a Brooklynite, stopped into the temporary space to see for herself the replicated island. Chin, who hails from Spanish Town, said she was elated that her birthplace had embraced the innovative marketing trend which offers an opportunity to ‘sell’ the island in an engaging manner.
Although the JTB can make claim to increased tourist arrivals attributed to their innovative and fanciful print and electronic public relations campaigns, a pop-up shop adds to any website and social media exposure, while aiding in measuring and identifying customer profiles and pin-pointing the areas or locations visitors are most likely to frequent. By engaging prospective customers in a new location and delighting them with an unforgettable experience and quality products, the JTB can point their clients to their website and social accounts.
The shop will soon re-open in Vancouver, Canada, and if all goes well, Boston and a few other cities may experience the virtual reality pop-up shop too.
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