We embraced a fun challenge at the UMASS Lowell Tsongas Center: Create a retail experience in an open atrium of a hockey arena. No defined space, per-se. Just an open corner of a common area. Watch the drone video above, and read below to see how we tackled this one.
Spoiler: on opening day, we smashed the previous 10-year revenue record for a single day, and never looked back.
With more or less a napkin and a walk through, we gained an understanding of the space. A totally open corner of the entrance to the hockey arena. A few great assets, to be sure. All glass outsides. Tall poles and a nice large headrail connecting them. Otherwise, this was an open canvas that required developing a concept that could carry a ton of merch when open, but when closed, retract so as to not get in the way. We had the floorspace. But we'd have to figure out how to signage it, secure it, and "slinky-ize it" (the best term we could think of for creating a method for the space to expand and contract).
We took advantage of the large structural poles and headrails to draw eyes to this corner of the arena. Open or closed, this would draw eyeballs and curiosity. The headrails worked perfectly for both branding the shop and adding some additional lighting to set the space off. What you can't see in this picture is how we used the glass windows outside to create a matching brand experience as you enter the building (jump to step 7 to see the outside).
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Our design was straightforward when the space was open and operating. But what about when it was closed? We needed a way to contract the entire shop into a small footprint, and also secure the merchandise. We landed on the idea of a huge, branded, retractable wall, that when collapsed, could become part of the structure for merchandising. An unlikely hero, this wall gets more attention than we imagined. It's a nod to our creativity and gives an unexpected vibe to the shop.
Our technology is 100% cloud based and 100% web based, so going mobile is one of our native capabilities. All sales are part of the unified experience for reporting, merchandise operations and optimization, etc. We brought in a lightweight, low cost setup to power the shop.
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Sporting events aren't student events. They are little sister and brother events. Grandparent events. Events for those with sometimes very little and sometimes a little more disposable income. We carry something for everyone which means showing up with a serious array of merchandise. The experiences we support at events plays a small role in creating lifelong fans and followers.
Good humans create good outcomes, and every customer interaction matters. We train for and plan for a wide variety of "fan" interaction and build a reputation for greatness, one conversation at a time.
On our very first day we broke the previous provider's 10 year record for daily pop-up sales. And we never looked back. Our design, assortment, staff, and technology created an environment for sales to thrive, and they still do today.
The pop-ups on your campus are 100% unique to you! We take a massively creative approach that leans into the best possible outcome for your fan base and space over time. We're creative, entrepreneurial, and love to see new projects come to life. And just like your home team, we like to win, which drives us to create spaces that perform from day one.
