14.02.2012
A novel way of promoting fledgling businesses has emerged in Co Dublin, where what’s being deemed as the world’s first shopping centre dedicated to pop-up shops has opened.
Shopping World allows small businesses to lease their own pop up shop without having to pay massive overheads. The set up is perfect for existing and new businesses with low rents, no bills for commercial rates, and no electricity or heating bills to worry about.
Businesses are just required to pay a single fee that covers all costs, including rent. All of this means they can offer shoppers keen prices and good value.
Currently open at weekends only, the centre is going to open seven days a week in April because it has been so successful in promoting new businesses, according to Maureen O'Halloran, marketing and public relations manager at Shopping World.
She pointed out that the long term goal of Shopping World is to provide new businesses with the platform they need to promote their products. When they begin to make money expert staff at the centre will help them to negotiate reasonable rents on commercial premises with local landlords.
“This will then give someone else the opportunity to rent a Pop Up Shop space,” she explained. “We aim to foster local business and ultimately create jobs.
“Even if businesses are closed and they want to start up again they can use our shopping centre to do so. If businesses have stock that they want to sell they just have to give us a few weeks’ notice and we can facilitate them. We take care of all the advertising for them and we cover their public liability insurance as well.”
The first of the Shopping World enterprise units opened in the Deansgrange outlet on the Deansgrange Road (beside MSL Mercedes) on 26 January.
Sorcha Corcoran
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