Why Shopee boldly pushed ahead with a retail pop-up despite low footfall in malls

At a time when malls are struggling to lure footfall, Shopee has taken a bold step in launching its pop-up store in partnership with VIRVICI. The VIRVICI X Shopee store at Funan is now open for a period of six months, and will showcase a range of exclusive products from over 10 Korean beauty brands.

Driving traffic and conversion on to its marketplace, the VIRVICI X Shopee store allows consumers to purchase products on the Shopee platform and collect the items in-store immediately, or choose to have it delivered to their homes. Customers can also scan the QR codes next to each product and find more information on Shopee.

In a conversation with Marketing,  Tiger Wang (pictured), head of marketing at Shopee said that the store acts as an extension of Shopee, and is a highly effective marketing tool for generating buzz and building brand awareness.  

Meanwhile, Funan was chosen as the location due to its trendy nature that attracts the younger demographic – in line with Shopee and VIRVICI’s target audience.  To better cater to this group of customers, Shopee also designed the store in a glasshouse concept, in a bid to give the store a more open and elegant look. With an open area beside the store, Shopee also plans to also hold workshops, livestreams, events, and other activities there when restrictions ease, Wang explained.  

“At Shopee, we pride ourselves on our hyper-localised marketing approach to bring our users personalised, engaging, and social shopping experiences. We tailor our marketing strategies to cater to specific audiences who may be interested in each campaign or launch,” Wang said.

To promote the launch of the store, Shopee has also banked on online and offline channels including livestreams via Shopee Live, in-app livestreaming feature, homepage banners, social media platforms, and engaged top local beauty influencers to amplify the launch. Shopee also sent out EDMs, push notifications, and tapped on its membership programme Shopee Beautyholics.

While Wang did not comment on if pop-up stores would be part of its stable offering with other brand partners, he added that the store has seen “great reception thus far”.

“As the retail and eCommerce landscape evolves, we are always on the lookout for new and exciting ways to engage users through innovative marketing campaigns. With the year-end sales season in full swing, we will continue to strive towards delivering memorable and unique shopping experiences to all our users,” Wang added.

The execution of pop-up stores by eCommerce companies is not a new one in markets such as Singapore. Just last year, fashion eCommerce firm ZALORA launched a pop-up store in Singapore as part of its inaugural ZALORA Fashion Festival. Interactive rooms curated by ZALORA’s partner brands such as CALVIN KLEIN, adidas, Vans, NARS, and Skin Inc allowed shoppers to experience the brands first-hand, and provide them with the "perfect backdrop" for their social media feeds.

Meanwhile, in 2018, LINE FRIENDS also opened up its own pop-up store in Hollywood, the heart of Los Angeles for three months, paving the way for the expansion of its business in the US. Located right across Hollywood's 'Walk of Fame', the hub of global pop culture and popular tourist attractions, the new pop-up store drew a great deal of attention among locals and tourists from all around the globe as more than 1,500 visitors waited in a long line before the store opened its doors. The company recorded the new store attracted over 15,000 visitors shortly after the opening.

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