Marketing & Getting Clients

How to Get Clients for Your Pop-Up Shop Business

Getting clients for a pop-up shop business means reaching both the property owners and brand partners who need temporary retail space, and the foot traffic that will actually shop at your locations. Your marketing has two distinct audiences: landlords and property managers looking to fill empty retail space, and the retailers or vendors who want to operate pop-up shops. Both require different messaging and channels, though they often overlap in your local market.

The good news is that pop-up shop operators with strong marketing can book 4-8 locations simultaneously, with each location generating $2,000 to $8,000 in monthly revenue depending on foot traffic and your rental model. Success depends on building credibility quickly and staying visible to both property owners and potential tenants.

Who Your Ideal Clients Are

Your primary clients are retail and food vendors who want to test products, clear inventory, or run seasonal businesses without long-term lease commitments. This includes independent fashion designers, jewelry makers, specialty food producers, local artisans, and established brands testing new markets. They typically have $500 to $3,000 monthly budgets for pop-up space and value flexibility, foot traffic quality, and professional presentation. They’re usually business owners aged 28-55 who already understand customer acquisition and can handle their own sales.

Your secondary clients are property owners and commercial real estate managers with vacant retail space. They need someone to fill empty storefronts, increase foot traffic to shopping centers, or create buzz around underperforming properties. Shopping center managers, strip mall owners, and downtown development organizations all fall into this category. They care about reliability, tenant quality, and whether your pop-ups actually drive customer traffic to surrounding businesses.

Your Best Marketing Channels

Direct Outreach to Property Owners

Create a list of every retail property owner, commercial real estate manager, and downtown association in your target area using local county records and commercial real estate websites like LoopNet or Zillow for business. Send personalized emails and make phone calls to properties with visible vacancy. Include before-and-after photos of pop-ups you’ve run, average foot traffic numbers, and tenant satisfaction. This single channel can reliably produce 1-2 quality leads per week if executed consistently.

Social Media Showcasing Live Locations

Instagram and TikTok are where potential tenants and property managers actually see your pop-ups in action. Post regular content from active locations showing crowds, tenant setups, and customer activity. Use location tags and hashtags relevant to retail and small business. Video content showing busy weekend traffic performs exceptionally well and builds confidence in prospective tenants that your locations actually attract customers. Aim for 2-3 posts weekly from active shops.

Local Business Networking Groups

Join your chamber of commerce, small business associations, and retail or food entrepreneur groups. These meetings put you in direct contact with vendors actively looking for space and property owners looking to fill vacancies. Attend consistently and bring materials showing your track record. These relationships often turn into long-term partnerships—many of your best clients will come through personal introductions from this network.

Google Business Profile and Local Search

Create a Google Business Profile for your pop-up shop business and optimize it for searches like “pop-up retail space near me” and “temporary vendor space.” Get listed in local directories and business listings. Property managers and vendors actively searching for solutions will find you here. Keep your profile updated with current locations, photos, and reviews from satisfied tenants.

Email Marketing to Vendor Lists

Build an email list of every potential tenant—local artisans, food producers, boutique retailers, and online sellers—and send monthly updates about available space, success stories from current tenants, and upcoming seasonal opportunities. Many people will need pop-up space only during specific seasons (holiday retail, summer markets), so staying top-of-mind matters. A simple monthly email can generate 1-3 inquiries regularly.

Partnerships with Commercial Real Estate Agents

Connect with commercial real estate brokers in your area. They represent property owners with vacancies and can refer business to you in exchange for a referral fee or revenue share. One strong broker relationship can produce 3-4 property opportunities per month because it’s part of their job to solve vacancy problems.

Getting Your First 3 Clients

1. Identify 10-15 specific retail properties with visible vacancy in your target area using Google Maps and local driving. Get the owner or property manager contact information from county records or the property listing.
2. Create a simple one-page sell sheet with photos of past pop-ups (or professional mockups), average monthly traffic numbers you project, and tenant satisfaction quotes. Include your contact information and a clear offer: “Fill your vacant space with curated retailers. We handle tenant recruitment, setup, and management.”
3. Make direct phone calls to property managers. Don’t rely on email alone. Mention that you’re filling retail vacancies and want to discuss their specific space. Ask for a brief meeting or site visit.
4. Simultaneously, identify 20-30 local vendors or small retailers who might want pop-up space. This could be online sellers, artisans at local markets, or specialty food producers. Reach out with a personal message explaining your concept and available space.
5. Secure your first location, even at a reduced rate if necessary, with an existing vendor or property manager willing to try the concept. This gives you real proof of concept for all future pitches.
6. Document that first pop-up extensively with photos and foot traffic data. Use it as your primary marketing asset for the next 20+ pitches.

Building Referrals and Word of Mouth

Property managers and vendors talk to each other. When you deliver results—a successful pop-up that attracts foot traffic and happy tenants—those people will recommend you to their peers. Make referrals easy by asking satisfied tenants to introduce you to other vendors, and asking property owners to mention your service to other landlords. Consider a formal referral program offering $200-$500 discounts on future space for any referral that books a location.

Your best marketing will eventually be current and past tenants showing off successful pop-up experiences to their networks. Treat every tenant as a potential long-term partner and source of referrals. Send monthly updates to past tenants about new available locations, and stay in touch even between their pop-ups. Repeat tenants—vendors who book space 2-3 times per year—become your most reliable revenue stream and your best word-of-mouth marketers.

Your Online Presence

You need a simple website showing what you do, current and past locations with photos, available space with rental rates, and clear contact information. Tenants and property managers need to quickly understand your model and see proof that you run successful pop-ups. Include testimonials from past tenants about foot traffic and sales, and photos of busy locations with visible customer activity. A portfolio of 10-15 successful pop-ups gives you far more credibility than promises.

Credibility in this business comes from visible proof. Your website should make it obvious that you’ve actually run multiple pop-ups, that locations get real customer traffic, and that tenants have real success. Without a professional online presence, property owners won’t take you seriously, and vendors won’t trust you with their inventory and time.

Social Media Strategy

Instagram and TikTok are your most important platforms because they show pop-ups in action. Post videos of busy weekend traffic, vendor setups, and customer interactions. These platforms build trust with potential tenants by showing them exactly what foot traffic looks like and how successful vendors have used your space. Use hashtags like #popupshop, #temporaryretail, and local location tags. Reels and TikTok videos should be your focus—they get far more reach than static posts and directly demonstrate your value.

Facebook is secondary but still valuable for reaching property managers and older business owners. Join local business groups and share your pop-up updates there. LinkedIn can work for connecting with commercial real estate professionals and property managers, though it’s less critical than visual platforms.

Paid Advertising

Start with a small paid social media budget of $300-$500 monthly targeting local business owners and property managers. Test Instagram and Facebook ads showing footage from busy pop-ups with messaging like “Proven foot traffic for your retail pop-up” and “Fill your vacant space profitably.” Track which ad versions and audiences generate inquiries. Google Local Services Ads can also work if available in your area, allowing property managers and vendors to find you through search. Only scale paid advertising once you have proven messaging and a clear cost-per-lead metric.

Client Retention

• Deliver consistent foot traffic and professional pop-up operations so tenants want to book again and again
• Send monthly updates to past tenants about upcoming available locations and seasonal opportunities
• Maintain regular communication with property owners about upcoming tenants and location performance
• Document and share foot traffic metrics and tenant success stories with both audiences
• Offer loyalty pricing for repeat tenants who book multiple locations or longer terms
• Request testimonials and photos from successful tenants and use them in all marketing
• Create seasonal promotions targeting vendors who pop-up during specific times of year

For more specific tactics, explore our resources on the fastest ways to get your first 10 pop-up shop business customers, the best marketing tools for your pop-up shop business, and local marketing strategies for pop-up shop operators.