Lessons Learnt – from our week hosting a Pop Up Shop at John Lewis Bluewater

We have had the most fantastic whirlwind of a week hosting a Pop Up Shop at John Lewis in Bluewater for the week (18-24 March 2024) facilitated by the brilliant Great Brand Exchange. It was such a great opportunity to be in such a fast paced retail environment where we could showcase our SilverGuard products. 

So much so, we’ve put together a little list of all the invaluable lessons learnt from our week. You can also watch our video on Instagram and Tik Tok:

• Remember it is a marathon and not a sprint so conserve your energy for the whole week…except when you need the bathroom
• It’s great to have company…to be on the rollercoaster of emotional highs and lows, and for the toilet run too!
• Exercising self-control is paramount…especially when you are set up next to chocolates and gin
• It’s okay to be nervous about meeting and talking to customers…but it has been an amazing confidence boost for customers to tell us that we have amazing products
• Your most comfortable shoes that you have always sworn by…are still not that comfortable
• If you wear black everyone will think you work at John Lewis…so make sure you know where the tills, toilets, café and ‘Happy Engagement’ cards are. (We still haven’t figured out what drawer lights are nor where you can find them)
• Make signs that say “the yellow ducks, vase and flowers are not for sale”. You can however, get your hands on your own vase and flowers from Contempee!
• Tweaking your shop is a must…yes, tweaking, not twerking! Don’t feel nervous to mix things up and change things around as the week goes on. You will notice what items draw customers to your shop more than other, so don’t be afraid to change things. Being able to demonstrate some of the benefits and quirks of your products is also a bonus too. Tahira has now mastered the art of folding a fitted sheet!

All that is left to say is a big thank you to the staff at John Lewis Bluewater for all their encouragement and help – they really were the nicest bunch of people to be among for the week. Thanks also to the Great Brand Exchange for making it all possible. And last but not least, we’d like to give the biggest thank you to everyone who came and touch our products, spoke to us and made a purchase too, you made the week so worth it. Now it’s time for a G&T!