“Pop-up stores”, these ephemeral stores where brands recreate links with their customers

In the Marais district of Paris, queues are multiplying in front of new types of stores; in the 13th arrondissement, dozens of customers wait to dine among virtual sharks and fish. Behind this craze lie ephemeral experiences – otherwise called “pop-up” – from a few days to several months, which have become the winning recipe for brands. “It’s a phenomenon that is gaining power”, notes Thierry Bisseliches, co-founder of My Pop Up Store. Nestore, Storefront, Pop My Shop… players specializing in these pop-up stores have multiplied in France in recent months, mainly in the capital.

American-inspired, ephemeral concepts emerged in France in the 2010s. For Thierry Bisseliches, one of the first brands to launch was Uniqlo, in the summer of 2009. For two months, the Japanese clothing brand highlights its products in a store created for the occasion, before the opening of…