“快闪”店赚钱五大法门

    走在任何一个大型商业区里，大家都会发现不少所谓的“快闪”店（亦称作“品牌游击店”）。有些是在线品牌试水实体经营，有些则是大型零售商在试卖新产品。现如今，“快闪”理念已经成了大大小小的企业的一个重要工具。

    过去几年，短期零售市场如雨后春笋般蓬勃发展，不仅在电子商务和实体商务之间架设了一座桥梁，而且让很多品牌有机会只用很少的资金租用高端地产进行短期零售。根据最近的一份专营零售报告显示，自从2009以来，临时零售行业的年增长率达到了16%，市值已达80亿美元。亚马逊（Amazon）和谷歌（Google）这样的网络巨头纷纷在大商场里签订短期租约，展示自己的新产品。而全美连锁的高档百货店诺德斯特龙（Nordstrom）也与网络珠宝商BaubleBar和时尚品牌Top Shop合作，在自己的门店内设置专柜。

    越来越多的企业正在意识到，“快闪”式的零售店不仅可以带来更多的销售额，同时也能让品牌进一步地了解顾客，了解品牌的演化过程，了解它会影响哪些人。下面谨为大家介绍企业可以从“快闪”式零售店获益的五种方式：

1. 利用“快闪”店清仓甩货、同时尝试寻找新的收入流

    “快闪”店由于开设的时间有限，一般会给人造成一种紧迫感，所以往往会促进销量，而且经常会转化为更大额的采购。

    “快闪”店建筑师梅丽莎•冈萨雷斯说：“我们有些客户开设了快闪店后，由于顾客可以在店里触摸到、感觉到这个品牌的商品，所以他们购物车的规模扩大了两倍。”

    零售点系统服务商Vend公司北美总裁安顿•康米萨利斯指出，这种非正式的购物环境可能带来更多的收入，或者让商家以一种新的方式向消费者展示存货。比如有一家商店想通过在街头摆摊的方式清仓甩货。但是如果店家开着一辆“快闪”货车到城市的另一个区域去卖货，那么这些衣服可能对于一群不同的消费者来说，就立即变成了新鲜款式。同时像Etsy这样的网商也可以通过试水实体生意，来看看自己的产品在实体店是否一样具有吸引力。

2. 测试新产品或新理念

    梅丽莎•冈萨雷斯自己就有一家专门承接“快闪”店业务的公司。她表示，如果要在有限的时间和地域内孵化出一个点子的话，“快闪”店是一个非常好的平台。它使商家可以在全面进军市场之前，先通过这个平台向消费者展示自己的产品，获取消费者的反馈和建议。像谷歌和诺德斯特龙等大企业如今都在利用“快闪”店试验新产品或新理念。诺德斯特龙最近还在纽约新开了一家“快闪”店，销售好莱坞女星萨拉•杰西卡•帕克代言的女鞋品牌SJP。

    小型零售商也可以利用“快闪”店或“快闪”售货卡车去招揽更多的顾客。同时你也可以利用这个机会向顾客提供下次到本店顾物的特别折扣或者礼品卡，给顾客一个“快闪”店关闭之后继续到你店里消费的理由。

3. 利用“快闪”店作为营造品牌认知度的机会

    越来越多的公司正在把“快闪”店当成提升品牌认知度的一个营销工具。通过向顾客提供激励，促使顾客通过Twitter和Facebook等社交媒体分享自己的购物体验，企业可以达到良好的品牌知名度。同时通过分析社交媒体数据，品牌的营销团队还可以了解围绕这个品牌的口碑，为以后寻找新的宣传点。另外，一个短期的实体店还能让消费者有机会了解他们的线上商店，为他们在当地带来无法通过其它途径获得的客流量。

    科技型企业还可以通过“快闪”店让顾客了解到自己产品的独特之处。

    Walk through any major shopping district, and you're likely to stumble upon a number of pop-up shops. From online brands testing the waters for a physical presence to major retailers testing out new products, the pop-up concept has become a major tool for businesses regardless of size.

    The short-term retail market has exploded over the past few years, bridging the gap between e-commerce and brick-and-mortar stores and enabling brands a chance at premium real estate at a fraction of the cost. In fact, temporary retail continues to thrive as an $8 billion industry that's grown 16% annually since 2009, according to a recent Specialty Retail Report. Major online brands like Amazon (AMZN) and Google (GOOG) have experimented with short-term leases to showcase new products while national retailer Nordstrom has collaborated with online jewelry marketplace BaubleBar and fashion brand Top Shop to set up within the department store.

    More and more companies are realizing a pop-up is not only a chance to generate more sales but also to learn more about customers and how a brand translates and who it influences. To illustrate, here's a look at five ways how a business can benefit from a soon-to-be permanent model in the retail industry:

1. Offload inventory and test out a new revenue stream

    Pop-up shops inherently evoke a sense of urgency with "limited time" offers, which helps boost sales and often converts to larger purchases.

    "We have had clients that have seen their cart size grow two times when their online customer walks into a space where they can touch and feel the brand," says pop-up architect Melissa Gonzalez.

    The informal, spontaneous setting might generate more revenue or allow a store to feature inventory in a fresh way, says Anton Commissaris, the North American president for point of systems service Vend. For example, let's say a running store is trying to move old inventory through the use of sidewalk racks. If the storeowner instead uses a pop-up truck and drives to a different part of town, the clothing becomes instantly new to a different group of consumers. Meanwhile online companies like Etsy can test the brick-and-mortar business to see if their merchandise attracts foot traffic in the same way it can digitally.

2. Test out new products or experiment with new concepts

    Pop-up shops are a great way to incubate an idea in a confined timeframe and isolated scope, adds Gonzalez, who owns a pop-up specialty firm. Demonstrating new products enables a business to collect customer feedback and suggestions before fully going to market. Existing brands like Google or Nordstrom (JWN), which more recently launched a New York pop-up to promote Sarah Jessica Parker's new shoe line SJP, are also leveraging pop-up shops to experiment with new collections or concepts.

    Smaller retailers can also use pop-up shops or trucks as an opportunity to reach and retain more customers. Use it as a chance to hand out an exclusive discount or gift card to spend at the larger store or online, giving consumers a reason to return after the pop-up closes.

3. Use it as a marketing opportunity to create brand awareness

    More companies are using pop-ups as a marketing tool for brand extension. By incorporating incentives for customers to share their experience on social media channels like Twitter and Facebook, companies can create a larger organic buzz about their brand. By analyzing social media chatter, a marketing team could examine word sentiment around their brand and look for new potential influences for future campaigns. A temporary physical setup also gives online brands a chance to make consumers aware of their online store, attracting local foot traffic they may not have otherwise had.

    Technology-driven companies can also use a temporary space as a way to educate customers on what makes their product unique to the market.