North East pop-up shops are no empty gesture

Mar 7 2010 by Mieka Smiles, Sunday Sun

WHILE the recession killed off countless businesses across the North East, it has given a new breed of entrepreneurs the perfect opportunity to make some quick cash, boosting their town’s image in the process. Mieka Smiles reports.

YOU’VE heard of pop-up books, cards and even tents, but pop-up shops may not have crossed your radar yet.

Yet, thanks to the recession, this new phenomena is popping up in town centres across the region.

And if you’ve not popped into a pop-up just yet then, with the support that’s being provided to help them flourish, you are likely to spot one in your high street very soon.

The term ‘pop-up’ applies to a temporary enterprise such as a restaurant, shop or exhibition and many have benefited from local authority schemes which provide help for individuals keen for a temporary high-street presence, using shops left empty by the recession.

Helen Stevens is one such ‘poptrepreneur’. She has moved into a disused unit in Middlesbrough’s Albert Road, opposite the town hall.

The 29-year-old, from Nunthorpe, Middlesbrough, runs the Designers Marketplace Pop-Up Shop – an extension of her Designers Marketplace enterprise which sees her run fairs across the North offering up and coming designers the chance to flog their wares.

When Middlesbrough Council started its We are Open scheme to support pop-up shops, Helen was one of the first to put her name down.

She said: “Middlesbrough Council is securing empty property spaces in the town centre and then allowing local creative businesses to move into these properties and use them on a short term.

“They can be used to do anything from displaying works of art to holding creative events and even gigs.”

Helen represents a portfolio of around 50 local designers – charging them an initial fee of £40 and then £10 a week. She has no bills to pay for the unit but is responsible for keeping it tidy and pulling in punters through advertising and PR.

“We have had a fantastic response. There have been people coming through the doors to spend as well as people wanting to know all about it,” said Helen.

“It’s a great idea and great for the area as well. It’s a bit of a guerrilla movement that big brands such as Prada and Nike are utilising.”