| | Internet Retailing reports that the Pop-Up UK study from CEBR (Centre for Economics and Business Research) and EE has found that pop-up retail shops contribute £2.1bn a year to the UK economy, and currently contribute 0.6% of total UK retail turnover.
The sector is expected to grow by 8.4% over the next 12 months, and the study forecasts that the pop-up shop industry will grow almost 2.5 times faster than the traditional UK retail market over the next year. Already some 23,400 people work in nearly 10,000 pop-up shops across the UK.
But, says the Pop-Up UK report, growth could be even faster if barriers including a lack of flexible short-term contracts, obstructive business rates and rents, and a lack of access to technology, were reduced.
EE has formed a partnership with pop-up space marketplace Appear Here, the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and entrepreneurs working in the sector to launch the Pop-Up UK campaign. It aims to help 3,000 entrepreneurs set up pop-up shops over the next three years, through measures including mentoring from Appear Here chief executive and founder Ross Bailey and EE, a Pop-Up Retail Bundle from EE supported by a dedicated helpline, and a step-by-step guide to starting a pop-up shop. |