As a new designer, it was instrumental having Lionesque Group to guide us through pop-up preparations. - Ariana Rockefeller
New York, NY (PRWEB) November 05, 2013
Since 2009, the Lionesque Group has provided brands including Ariana Rockefeller, Ellen DeGeneres' Halo Pets Foundation, and J.Hilburn with the opportunity to create unique pop-up store locations. The company assists clients with executing a physical store location whereby brand awareness can be extended past the current customer base. "Brands that create a truly a unique and thoughtful customer experience succeed," says Melissa Gonzalez, brand activation and pop-up retail expert.
Success in the field requires both good contacts to increase brand awareness and an understanding of the real estate market. "As the temporary store has shifted from a fad to a permanent part of a company's multi-channel retail strategy, brands must be ever more strategic about how they 'pop-up,'" says Gonzalez. Once a client chooses to work with Lionesque, the company delivers a roadmap to achieving a customer experience that results in increased sales and awareness for the brand. "As a new designer, it was instrumental having Lionesque Group to guide us through pop-up preparations," says Ariana Rockefeller. "From shop design to strategic partners like Songza, Melissa is hands-on with ensuring the brand's voice and aesthetic leaves a lasting impact to both new and current customers."
After working with numerous business owners to establish pop-up retail stores over the years, Gonzalez has developed a proven methodology for success. Beginning with the vision of the branded experience, the Lionesque Group guides clients throughout the entire lifecycle of the "pop-up experience." The advisory continues with project management from pre-planning to store opening, and concludes with the merging of Lionesque Group's knowledge of social media strategy with the company's deep Rolodex of partners and sponsors. The team is with their client every step of the way to ensure that the brand's online presence is utilized to drive customer traffic to the store and the pop-up store captures both current and new customer appeal, bridging a multi-channel platform retail strategy.
While the process of starting a pop-up retail shop may seem daunting, Gonzalez assures clients the end-result is worth it. Immediate benefits of a pop-up retail store include:
- Enhanced Customer Relations - The pop-up retail format allows business owners to personally get to know customers and build stronger relationships.
- Increased Sales - The average conversion rate for a retailer Websites sits in the low- to mid-single digits, in comparison to the average conversion rate in off-line stores at 60% or higher.
- Extended Brand Awareness - Consumers and the media love the excitement generated by pop-up shops and connecting with customer’s in-person is invaluable when properly executed.
- Capital Expenditure Savings - Launching a pop-up shop is on average 70% less expensive than a traditional retail store.
- New Market Feasibility - Pop-ups enable business owners to easily enter a new market and launch new products.
Most recently, Lionesque Group worked with Dallas based brand, J.Hilburn for the brand's first brick and mortar experience in New York City, allowing them to test the New York market. "This fall we choose to open a pop-up in New York to test the market and to building brand awareness,” says Veeral Rathod, CEO of J.Hilburn, working with Melissa and her team ensured that we achieved both goals as we acquired new customers and converted higher sales with our existing customer base."
Online retailers can broaden their appeal by offering intelligent one-on-one marketing initiatives in a physical space. From big box retailers to niche start-up companies, pop-up shops continue to flourish and have become a consistent channel within a brand's marketing and growth strategy.
*For more information on the pop-up retail industry and working with Melissa Gonzalez, visit http://www.lionesquegroup.com.
More about Lion'esque Group
The Lion'esque Group was founded in 2009 by pop-up pioneer Melissa Gonzalez, who is also a co-founder of The Market, a series of revolving storefronts in midtown Manhattan. The company has produced over 60 pop-up retail experiences in New York City, Los Angeles and the Hamptons. Gonzalez is also on the advisory board of TheStorefront.com, giving retailers advantageous access to vacant, short-term commercial spaces and cutting edge retail technologies.
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