Quick hit: Local clothiers open pop-up store, donate to charity

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April 14, 2010

By Cate Lecuyer The Salem News Sat May 15, 2010, 02:13 AM EDT

BEVERLY — Just for the weekend, two entrepreneurs turned an empty storefront at 194 Cabot St. into a bustling downtown business.

Gordon College graduates Jason Revilla and Jim Grumbine put together what's known as a "pop-up" store in about two weeks and sold nearly $1,000 worth of apparel through Faith & Fortune, a socially conscious Internet clothing company they launched in December. Twenty percent of the proceeds, or about $200, went to Beverly Bootstraps.

"I think it's something that has been the result of the economy and has really grown out of necessity," Revilla said about the concept of setting up a temporary shop in a vacant space.

The trend has been catching on in bigger cities, and they first found out about the idea while in Manhattan.

"Some big companies like Under Armour and Nike are taking advantage of it," Grumbine said.

But it's relatively unheard-of on the North Shore.

"This is all brand-new to me," North Shore Chamber of Commerce President Robert Bradford said.

Bradford related the concept to when businesses like tree-trimming stores or costume shops show up at malls with seasonal merchandise — a view shared by Amy Ross, dean of Endicott College's School of Business.

"They have a lot of temporary stores that come in when there are vacancies, particularly around the holidays," she said.

It's also a model that lends itself to places like ice cream or hot dog vendors in the summer, but renting out a storefront downtown is definitely a sign of the times, she said.

"In the past, the malls or real estate owners weren't interested in temporary leases because it would inhibit their ability to rent it out on a permanent basis," she said. "But in the current climate when vacancy rates are as high as they are, it makes more sense."

Indeed, it's not something he would do all the time, but every now and then it's a benefit, said Michael Hubbard, co-owner of 124 Cabot St., where Faith & Fortune set up shop.

"I don't think any landlord would look at this as a long-term solution," he said. "But in this economy everyone is doing what they can do."

For Revilla and Grumbine, the pop-up paid off.

"We definitely want to do a repeat of this," Revilla said.

They're looking into locations in places like Newburyport and Cambridge, and even Newbury Street in Boston.

"If you walk down Newbury Street, the vacancies are unbelievable," Revilla said.

For them, it's a great way to market their merchandise, limited-edition T-shirts and sweatshirts designed and silk-screened locally and sold primarily online.

"As a Web-based business, the hardest thing for us is for people to get their eyes on our actual product," Grumbine said. With food, and hopefully live music in the future, a weekend pop-up event draws a crowd of people who will potentially like what they see and tell their friends, they said. It also allows them to spread the word around the region, creating a wider market base without committing to any one location. Prior to the pop-up, they advertised through Facebook and Twitter and sent out fliers downtown, and got a lot of foot traffic with the good weather.

"This has basically been a two-week production," Revilla said.

They also pride themselves on their donations, with 20 percent of all sales going to various charities. For the pop-up, sales went to Beverly Bootstraps, and they plan to give to a local organization wherever they decide to hold their next event.

But is it a business model with staying power? Bradford and Ross don't think so.

"There are opportunities for certain kinds of entrepreneurs to score and it generates income for the retail owners," Ross said. "It can be a win-win for both."

Yet it's also a short-term trend, since businesses, landlords and downtowns benefit much more with a permanent place, she said.

"On the other hand, you would rather have a well-known, established retailer that can work to keep traffic coming," Ross said. "Pop-up stores can do that on a temporary basis. But I'm not seeing it as revolutionary in any way."

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Staff writer Cate Lecuyer can be reached at clecuyer@salemnews.com.

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