“居无定所”的快闪潮店

听说过“pop-up shop 快闪潮店”吗？你会光顾快闪潮店吗？2008年英国经济危机给一些创业者带来了商机，现在英国城市商业街道上随处可见销售各类商品的“快闪店”。

Do you like somewhere a little bit different to the usual types of places you find on the high street?  I do, so I'm glad to see new ones popping up everywhere in London.

The so called pop-up shop is a temporary arrangement. In the aftermath of the financial crisis of 2008, many businesses had to shut down. Shops, warehouses and offices were left vacant when they stopped trading. Pop-up entrepreneurs occupied some of them quickly. For them the appeal of this temporary shopping concept is clear: they can start a business with much lower risk. The temporary nature of a pop-up gives the opportunity to test a product and develop a customer base, without being tied in to a long-term renting contract. Being small makes it much easier for pop-ups to expand if they are successful.

Pop-up shops first appeared in the UK in the early 2000s, with the economy booming. They were originally a way for small, niche companies to rent retail space in great locations. This was while landlords who owned these spaces looked for permanent tenants.

Pop-up shops can take a number of different forms. They might be temporary shops in the high street or a shopping centre. They might be simple market stalls. They could be based in some kind of transport, like a food truck. Or they could be run by people who visit different establishments, like travelling chefs who take over pub and restaurant kitchens temporarily.

According to a 2014 report by the Centre of Economic and Business Research, the pop-up industry was worth £2.1bn and is expected to grow by 8.4% this year.

Almost anything that can be on a high street can also be a pop-up. There have been pop-up shops, art galleries, theatres and restaurants among others. In an age of fast-changing habits, the pop-up idea might be here to stay.