Harry & David to Open 20 Holiday Pop-Up Stores
Harry & David will operate approximately 20 pop-up stores nationwide this holiday season, in addition to its 46 year-round retail locations, the company announced. Opening pop-up stores in key market areas across the U.S. will expand Harry & David's footprint for the biggest gift-giving time of the year. The pop-up stores have already begun to open and are expected to close shortly after the holiday season.
Total Retail's Take: Pop-up stores offer Harry & David another physical channel in which to engage customers and prospects, but without the hard cost of a year-round lease. The retailer's business is seasonal, so it makes sense to increase its physical presence during one of its busiest times of the year — the end-of-year holidays. With vacant space in many shopping malls and other retail locations, brands are increasingly turning to pop-up shops as a test to see if full-time storefront makes sense. For Harry & David, it's less about testing brick-and-mortar than it is expanding its footprint during the busy holiday season.
"Harry & David has long been a part of America's holiday gift-giving tradition, and we're excited to make our extraordinary products even more accessible to customers through our seasonal pop-up store initiative," said Steve Lightman, president, Harry & David, in a company press release.
