The retail landscape is undergoing a seismic shift. As flexibility, community, and experiential engagement take centre stage, pop-up stores are no longer just a stepping stone for start-ups, they’re becoming a vital part of long-term retail strategy. To explore what this evolution means for brands in 2025, we brought together four experts from across property, fashion, and retail for a thought-provoking panel discussion hosted in partnership with Time Retail Partners. The message was clear: pop-ups aren’t just surviving, they’re maturing.

Joining the conversation were Rebecca Morter, Founder and CEO of Lone Design Club; Rob Wingrave, CEO of Time Retail Partners, a consultancy helping brands and landlords navigate retail’s changing landscape; Sinéad Flood, founder of jewellery brand July Child, who scaled her business from a lockdown idea to a seven-figure success through savvy physical retail moves; and Stephen Boyce, Property Director at Boots, who is driving the heritage retailer’s shift towards more dynamic, category-led experiences.

In this article, we unpack the key takeaways from the session - what brands need to know now, how pop-ups are being used as strategic business tools, and why this agile retail model is only just getting started

Pop-ups are no longer just a stepping stone. They’re a core part of retail strategy. With thousands of brand and landlord collaborations under their belt, LDC has seen firsthand how pop-ups create impact, from brand discovery to driving online sales.

This shift is as relevant to landlords as it is to brands. Rob Wingrave explained, “From my point of view, it’s about de-risking on both sides. For retailers, pop-ups reduce CapEx and allow strategic testing. For landlords, it’s about placemaking and revitalising shopping destinations with something fresh and exciting.”

Legacy retailers are also adapting. Stephen Boyce shared how Boots is moving away from rigid, long-term store formats by giving growing categories like beauty and wellness their own space to shine. “Each of those core brands has their own fixture, almost like their own pop-up within the store,” he said. “It’s a way to remain responsive to market trends and keep stores relevant and exciting.” Boots has recently opened a ‘beauty-only’ store in Battersea Power Station as a way of leaning into the increasingly dynamic retail landscape

One of the biggest takeaways from the webinar was the importance of having a clearly defined goal. Whether you're testing a new location, launching a product, or aiming to drive online traffic, the objective must shape the overall strategy. Rob echoed this point: “The brands that come in knowing if it’s for brand awareness, product testing or online traffic, they’re the ones that succeed.”

Pre-marketing is equally vital. Sinéad emphasised that creating buzz ahead of time through email campaigns, paid ads, and press coverage ensures your pop-up gains momentum before it even opens its doors. “It’s about having a rigid strategy beforehand. It’s making sure eyes are on the brand in the lead-up so people know exactly where we are,” she said. She highlighted how brand awareness campaigns, digital ads, and email marketing build anticipation. “We offer things like gifts for the first 50 customers or exclusive drops that launch only in-store. It gives people a reason to come down and to keep coming back.”

Incentivising footfall is another effective tactic. Limited giveaways for early visitors, exclusive product drops, or time-sensitive launches encourage urgency and boost engagement throughout the event.

Above all, brands must focus on emotional connection. “We want people to feel like they’re part of something special because they are,” Sinéad shared. Rob reinforced that the brands who enter pop-ups with this kind of clear vision, paired with landlords who approach curation intentionally, see the best results.

While London offers visibility and credibility, brands aiming for national presence must think beyond tier-one cities.

“London is its own economic bubble,” Rob noted. “If you want to scale a 50-store chain, test outside London. Know your customer demographics, travel, walk the high streets, and observe. Don’t just trust data, go see it.”

Stephen agreed, adding: “Even at Boots, we spend weekends in target markets to observe shopping behaviour firsthand. The nuance between cities like Manchester and Leeds can be huge.”

The nature of the brand-landlord relationship is evolving from transactional to strategic. As Rebecca explained, landlords are increasingly looking at short-term tenants not just to fill a gap, but to bring value. “They want the buzz, the excitement, the customer it brings, the footfall and engagement,” she said.

To highlight their value, Rob encouraged brands to show up strong: “Landlords want brands that bring something new and engaging. Build a strong brand deck. Highlight your audience, footfall potential and social reach. It matters.”

For brands just beginning their retail journey, creativity and partnerships are key. “Our first year of pop-ups, we collaborated with bigger brands,” Sinéad shared. “We’d be the smaller partner in their space, it allowed us to get visibility and test without taking on all the risk.”

She also suggested thinking beyond obvious locations: “Cafes, co-working spaces - even places like Ducie Street Warehouse in Manchester. They don’t charge rent. They just want a new footfall. If you come with a clear idea, people will often say yes.”

Our panel agreed that a lack of strategy is the biggest threat to any retail activation. “No clear vision, no objectives, you can’t measure success if you don’t know what you’re aiming for,” said Rob. As a brand, it’s important to understand why you are launching a pop-up: Is it for brand discovery? Or does your existing customer want to learn more about your product? 

For brands and landlords, it's important to apply the learning. Understanding the data you have access to allows a pop-up not to only generate sales but create a clear brand identity and loyal customer base. To achieve this, Stephen says, ‘Don’t be afraid to get advice or negotiate terms’. Matching your product to the right space requires putting your feet on the ground and observing the market you want to move into. 

As always, there is a community out there who are willing to share advice. Stephen shared that ‘We do the simple thing of picking up the phone to our counterparts and asking them for the comparison of how they trade in this market versus that market. And you'll be surprised how willing people are to help you’.

So how do you know when you're ready to take your pop-up to a permanent space?

According to Rob, the first sign is profitability in your current location. From there, it’s about doing the numbers: “It’s just smart P&L thinking,” he said. “Look at your sales, work out a clear P&L. Make sure you can get a return on your CapEx. And ask—, an you weather a 20% drop in sales?” He also stressed the importance of factoring in seasonality. “Some brands are Christmas-heavy, others peak in summer.”

Going long-term is a major decision and should only come after testing and clear commercial success. “The 25-year lease is gone. Today’s norm is a five or ten-year lease with breaks. It’s all about finding the balance between stability and agility,” Rob explained, highlighting how lease flexibility has shifted over time.

Sinéad added that traditional retail constraints can often be a barrier for early-stage brands. “Fixed contracts where no crossover with other brands is allowed can be tough,” she said. “That’s why what LDC does, curated multi-brand spaces is so important. It helps younger brands access amazing retail environments they couldn’t enter alone.”

The leap to long-term retail isn’t just about ambition, it’s about timing, financial readiness, and finding the right setup to support your next stage of growth.

Retail in 2025 isn’t about the biggest space or the longest lease. It’s about agility, experience, and intentionality. The brands that win will be those who treat retail as an extension of marketing, product testing, and community-building, not just sales.

Rebecca Morter closed with a call to action: “Whether it’s your first pop-up or your next phase of expansion, the future of retail belongs to those who are agile, creative, and community-focused.”

Lone Design Club continues to champion this new wave of retail by helping brands access space, test concepts, and scale at the right pace. To explore how LDC can support your retail journey, visit https://partners.lonedesignclub.com/