And Toys R Us has leveraged the space glut caused by the recession by grabbing dozens of temporary locations
around the country to launch Holiday Express toy shops. "Once we learn more about where these work and how these work, we'll be able to maintain a pop-up strategy in good times and bad," says CEO
Jerry Storch.
Then there are the interactive pop-up displays that JC Penney used to tout its back-to-school offerings in half a dozen Southern California malls this year. The pop-ups
would send text messages to compatible cell phones when shoppers came within 35 feet.
Chang says the pop-up trend could reshape the nation's retail landscape by making it easier for merchants to test new locations and products with little commitment. And there's no sign of abatement. "It's something that's just getting bigger and bigger every day," Marshal Cohen, chief industry analyst at NPD Group, tells her.
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