Shows in London are pleased to learn that the much-loved shop Dress Circle will be back amongst us, albeit for a short period of time. Billed as the ‘greatest showbiz shop in the world’ Dress Circle literally closed its doors on August 15th 2012, after more than 33 years in operation in London’s West End, but continues to run its shop online at www.dresscircle.co.uk.
Stocking many kinds of memorabilia and merchandise for all the shows on in London as well as musicals and plays from around the globe, Dress Circle was a firm favourite amongst the theatratti and the West End was shocked when announcements of its closure was made. However, fresh plans have now been revealed in which Dress Circle will make its comeback, as a ‘pop up’ shop for a 6 month stint in its original location on Monmouth Street in the heart of London’s West End.
The concept of a pop up store is a recent phenomenon, also known as flash retailing, where a sales space opens up for a short period of time, typically a few months. Pioneered by the California-based company Vacant in 1999, the idea was found after they observed a retailing trend in Tokyo, Japan. Limited edition items would be sold from a specific location, with consumers travelling from far and wide to buy the goods, and after selling out, the store would simply be closed until inventory was restocked. They developed the pop up model by considering a permanent closure of the store with relocation before re-opening – since purchasers were already travelling long distances.
Pop ups are an extremely cost-effective solution for retailers dependant on seasonality – have you ever noticed the tacky Christmas shops that seem to appear on your high street at the end of the Autumn – but are nowhere to be seen for the rest of the year? It’s certainly a cheaper option than renting commercial space all year round.
However, pop ups solutions haven’t just been used as cheap alternatives to a permanent retail space. Given the right design and concept, pop ups can provide great publicity for a brand with the huge interest a single store can generate – size really doesn’t matter.
One of the most fascinating and unusual pop ups London has seen is the Hot Tub Cinema, by Netil House in Hackney. Plenty might wonder how stripping off and sharing a tub with strangers to watch a film might entice interest – but the first run of shows were a sell out! Even more curiously, the film to be screened was kept a mystery until you showed up.
On a (slightly) larger and longer scale, is Box Park in Shoreditch, the world’s first pop up mall – which is planned to stay put in East London for 5 years. Built from shipping containers which have been stripped down and refitted, Box Park hosts a variety of retail spaces, including fashion and lifestyle shops as well as bars, cafes and art galleries. Inherently low-cost and portable – Box Park’s creators allude to relocating the mall to other locations after its run in London.
Back in London’s West End, a similar concept of refitted shipping containers is also being used by Mexican Street Food chain Wahaca – with a pop up restaurant on the South Bank for 18 months. In an effort to be more innovative, the Wahaca blog explains that they introduced a special new menu specifically for this pop up, with plans to roll out the most popular items into their permanent restaurants. With specials at the pop up also changing monthly, Wahaca are using the location as their development kitchen – a great solution to the often costly process, given that patrons will be more likely to order experimental recipes when choosing to visit an unusual location.
With such a buzz created by such concepts, it’s unsurprising that Dress Circle has decided to follow suit. Its closure earlier this year was attributed to financial difficulties after the global economic downturn – and despite celebrity gala performance to raise funds, the shop’s future wasn’t secured in the long-term. Perhaps some publicity from a flash comeback will help the cause?
Dress Circle are yet to announce a precise date for their temporary re-opening. Please check back on the Shows in London blog for any updates.
