PopupShopup is a new service that activates vacant retail and commercial space, allowing new businesses to try out ideas and existing businesses to try out new markets with less risk.
Growing up together in the same suburb, Perth residents Ronan Bray, 26, and Daniel Rainone, 24, were constantly coming up with new business ideas and concepts. Having spent the majority of their weekends putting together business plans for these ideas they found a constant barrier kept appearing; the significant time and cost in renting a space to launch their ideas. From this, Popupshopup was born.
Ronan explained the vision for the service as:
“We soon realised this wasn’t just an issue for us as business owners but for real estate agents and landlords too and were amazed to learn that in Australia alone there was around $5.4 billion lost in forgone rent annually. It was important for us to not only find a solution to these common leasing issues but go one step further so that whether you’re a start-up entrepreneur or global company you have the flexibility to find the perfect space wherever you want and for however long you want. We set out to be more than just a listing site and so put together our Popupshopup Services Network which is made up of architects, designers, shop fitters, photographers, videographers, marketers, caterers and equipment hire so that once you’ve found your space we can help set it up, fit it out and get the word out. It’s the ultimate one stop shop.”
Asked on how the process works the founders explained, “We have made the process as simple as booking a flight or hotel but without any of the hidden costs. We have simplified the entire process so there is nothing left to worry about and this includes the guides we have put together give our user’s information on everything pop up from serving food and alcohol, setting up their space and accepting payments.”
The process is:
1. Search for your space whether it be retail, bars, cafes, kitchens, showrooms, warehouses, offices or something unique, look through photos, space rules, amenities and costs (or if you have a space in mind that isn’t listed contact us to see if it’s available)
2. Make an enquiry which is then reviewed by our team and the space owner
3. If approved, accept the offer and make the payment all through the secure portal.
The goal for Popupshopup is to provide users with the flexibility to develop unique ideas and fill space as quickly as possible. “We have also invested heavily in our backend messenger tool so that landlords and tenants can simply exchange questions at any time and track the progress from the initial enquiry, to receiving an offer, accepting an offer, making the payment and finally moving in”.
To ensure their solution was a best fit for tenants and landlords alike they spent months speaking with interested companies, entrepreneurs and real estate firms and found that a significant concern was the legal and insurance aspects of leasing.
“We wanted to build a solution that put all parties’ minds at ease. We partnered with a legal firm who has put together a standard short term leasing contract that can be agreed to by both parties within minutes instead of months and is available directly from our site for free. The next area to address was insurance and after a lengthy search we created a first of its kind pop up insurance package with an insurance partner which saves tenants money and guarantees delivery within 24 hours. Again accessing this is all managed through our site for free.”
The offering has been very welcomed not only by businesses and local councils but real estate companies too. It is the space owner/manager who sets the requirements and costs and has the final say on who can use the space and how it can be used. This ensures they retain all the control and get paid for otherwise vacant space which keeps the owner happy too. Studies have also shown that short term tenancies more often than not lead to longer term leases and with the solution being used for high street shops to shopping centres and warehouses it looks like a win-win for all. What’s more is it is 100% free to list spaces and the site can integrate directly with industry leading real estate content management systems for even greater ease of use.
Ashby, a local real estate agent, commented on the solution saying, “I am always having clients asking for great retail and commercial space for the short term, clients that are looking to test the market before they commit to anything longer term and on the other hand I have clients with unused space whilst searching for a long term tenant. Popupshopup is the missing link in the market place, helping bring these clients together and is a service that up until now has been very difficult to offer.”
Space owner, Mario, echoed these thoughts saying “I am all for anything that adds to the value of my property and keeps it occupied and active especially in such an uncertain rental market. Popupshopup is an innovative solution that delivers just that and I am excited about using it for all my properties going forward.”
Daniel explained
“This type of solution has had a lot of international success in the UK and US but we feel with our services network and vision we can do even more and are excited to be bringing this to Australia. We have staged the expansion of our growth to focus locally in Perth first before going interstate and eventually international. It is important for us to ensure 100% satisfaction for our users and our efforts are 100% dedicated to ensuring this as we grow.”
Popupshopup continues to work closely with various councils, business hubs and other organisations to add more to the cultural initiatives across Australia. They are also looking to use the website to promote what’s on in each city each weekend including food vans, food markets and other sectors as part of the pop up culture.
