How to set up your pop-up shop during Milan’s Vogue Fashion’s Night Out

1. Go Big or Go Home

Let’s keep it real: renting a random spot just about anywhere in Milan is not going to cut it. Yes, there is no shortage of fashion-savvy visitors in the city, but they are not just going to turn up on your doorstep, unless you position yourself at the heart of the Fashion Week flow.

In order to draw potential customers and maximise your brand’s exposure, you should plan your presence carefully, looking at one of Milan’s fashion hot spots. Be where things happen, where residents and tourists gather to drink and party, to dance and shop for fashion and accessories.

The best districts to place your pop-up shop during the Vogue Fashion’s Night Out are Brera (with its characteristic alleys such as Fiori Oscuri, or the busy via Solferino and the wild parties of Corso Garibaldi), Duomo (with free cocktails in Via Manzoni and Corso Vittorio Emanuele, and the shows popping up around the Cathedral), Corso Magenta (with its myriad of tiny shops) and Gae Aulenti (from the square by the same name to Porta Nuova).

2. Be where everyone is

On this special night, dozens of famous brands plan amazing events to draw the passer-by’s attention and get more foot traffic into their flagship stores. Last year, brands such as Camicissima, Mario Valentino, Alcott and Obicà managed to triple their engagement.

It’s a virtuous circle: if there’s a queue to enter a shop, about 20% of the people queueing will give up before they get in and 10% will not stay long because the space will be too crowded, another 10% will take a look at the queue and move on to the next shop. Your goal is to make sure that means you!

Try to get a spot next to one of the main events, so that you can benefit from the flow of visitors it generates, hitching a ride on the promotional powerhouses of mainstream brands.

3. Be unique and get your shop noticed!

Think strategically! How are you going to draw your potential customers’ attention? It’s true that, in a crowd, not many people look carefully at window displays, but it is also true that many are looking for gadgets and souvenirs of the event to take home. Give them something special to show them you care: set up a gif photobooth and hire a good catering service, offer everyone a glass of wine and make them feel welcome. Before trying to sell them your products, you should be offering them an experience: that’s the perfect motivator to get them curious about what you do.

Here’s how we planned a promotional opening for the new Aveda store in Brera. By following these simple rules, we tripled their sales for that night.

Time is money

If you are looking for your Pop-up shop and want to increase your sales, you should get to work right now!

Check out available spaces and find the perfect fit for your brand! Hurry up before the best ones are gone!