Pick’n’mix
50
Behind the pop-up
Julie Conrad
Anna Castellucc
Fanny Bervard
Ghislaine De Poorter
JULIE CONRAD DESIGN STUDIO
NANA’SELECTIONS
ROMANTICO ROMANTICO
MADE BY GHIGI
To bring design into the heart of the city and give a behind-the-scenes look at the development of local products.
Which item do you sell the most?
Our “Luxembourg is wild” illustrations; DONO bags made from the tarpaulin that was on the Pont Adolphe during its renovation; Corian sushi plates by Norbert Brakonier.
Are pop-up shops a movement?
The pandemic brought uncertainty but also drove a lot of people to do something different. Pop-ups offer the ideal conditions to test-drive an idea in a safe way.
Ideal spot for a pop-up shop in Luxembourg?
30, rue des Capucins. (Wink.)
Are pop-ups synonymous with sustainability?
Not always, but many are new/small businesses that want to try something different. And there’s a nice current towards more sustainability in new businesses…
The concept of my shop is to sell European handcrafted products made by craftsmen or small family businesses.
Italian bags made of leather; fabrics and soaps.
It’s a kind of new way of selling products in an affordable space.
The ideal place is a well-frequented place!
It could become sustainable if the mentality of buyers adapts to this mode of commerce.
Our bestsellers are earrings: the style we sell the most is “Julie Nathi Hoops”, asymmetrical pearl hoops, a timeless classic with a twist.
A pop-up can create a hype-place for a limited amount of time, a space people want to visit before it closes. To me, pop-ups are the innovation of retail.
It’s important to conduct market research before opening your pop-up. There is not one specific place: it has to be adapted to your product/service.
Not necessarily, but they should be. To us, a pop-up store also means not having large stock levels. A lot of our purchases are made by hand, to order.
A cushion that we make with coloured fabrics where we mix vegetal and geometric patterns, velvets, jacquards, and cotton furniture fabric.
Interior decoration objects: cushions, storage baskets, stools, laundry bags; and fashion accessories: shopping bags, pouches, scrunchies, fabric masks.
In Luxembourg, it’s a very recent phenomenon; the City of Luxembourg has been offering this opportunity for only a few years.
The city centre: people from Luxembourg and tourists frequent the town.
It really depends… you can sell both madein-Luxembourg and made-in-China. Made by Ghigi offers artisanal products handmade in Luxembourg.
Serge Benasutti, provided by participants, Shutterstock, JCDS, Romantico Romantico, Alicia Bertomeu
What is your pop-up store’s concept?
To take customers on a visit to the Ligurian coast: Mediterranean temperament and minimalistic modernity are translated into unique “made in Luxembourg” jewellery.
Photos
JUNE 2022
Four owners of Luxembourg pop-up stores provide a glimpse of the short-term retail model.
