Beyond Temporary: Exploring Marketing Strategies for Pop-Up Shops and Temporary Retail Spaces

Abstract

The rapid growth of e-commerce and changing consumer preferences have encouraged brands to adopt pop-up shops and temporary retail spaces as flexible tools for product launches, brand promotion, and market testing. Although interest in temporary retail continues to grow, research on the marketing strategies that make these formats effective remains fragmented. This study aims to identify, evaluate, and synthesize existing research on marketing strategies for pop-up shops and temporary retail spaces. A systematic literature review was conducted following the PRISMA framework, using the Scopus database and a structured search string limited to final-stage journal articles. The initial search yielded 32 documents, of which 26 were retained after data cleaning and examined through thematic analysis. The review identifies three main strategic themes: (1) experiential marketing, which creates immersive store atmospheres and emotional connections between consumers and brands; (2) brand community building and promotional strategies, including exclusive launches, collaborations, social media campaigns, and word-of-mouth communication; and (3) urgency, location selection, and omnichannel integration, which leverage the ephemeral nature of pop-up stores and connect offline experiences with online purchasing opportunities. The findings indicate that successful pop-up retailing requires an integrated approach that remains consistent with brand identity while delivering both short-term performance and long-term brand value. This study maps current knowledge, highlights research gaps, and offers practical guidance for retailers designing temporary retail activations.