Let’s say you’ve already had your photo taken inside a washing machine, flicked through clothing rails on the top of an afternoon tea bus and tried on makeup inside a giant stick of blush on the street — what happens next? Pop-up stores have always been in fashion and with rising rents, the temporary physicality is more attractive for brands than ever before. With all experiences though, there comes a time when we’ve been there and done it all — so how do brands keep it interesting?

Amidst viral TikTok recommendations making it impossible to keep up with demand, the rise of AI allowing literally anyone to generate literally anything and an inability not to expect the unexpected, there’s a new generation of pop-ups beginning to emerge, favoring immersive experiences and tapping into our everyday lives. This new wave appears to be categorized by three key trends:

The Immersive Exteriors

One undeniable pioneer is Jacquemus, famed for its sought-after locations, branded food and drink offerings and unique pop-up designs. Speaking on the topic at the brand’s new London Bond Street store opening, founder Simon Porte Jacquemus told us: “The purpose of a pop-up for me is having fun. It’s about an experience that’s more than just selling bags or shoes. I think people want something else, they want to have fun and be surprised. They want to learn something, discover things.”

Next up is Hailey Bieber’s rhode. Aside from its masterclass in food marketing, rhode’s pop-up strategy is unmatched. From deeply TikTok-able photo booths to recreating the feeling of walking into a giant stick of blush, its creative marketing in the last year has resulted in a slew of highly immersive pop-up experiences that have brought consumers closer to the brand than ever before. While a temporary shop front with product testers and a free drink might have been enough to satiate the needs of a beauty lover back in the day, it’s the absolute bare minimum now. What rhode has managed to achieve in the wake of that slumber is pretty impressive — though a celebrity founder at the helm definitely plays a part in its continual virality.

The Unexpected Locations

Similarly, there’s been a trend in using unlikely locations in recent years, from corner shops and newsagents to kiosks and pubs — something that’s definitely grown in the last year. One such location is London‘s beloved Shreeji News, a heritage newsagent (and somewhat of an institution) that recently underwent an impressive makeover and since, has become home to pop-ups for brands like Jimmy Choo and Valentino.

Owner Sandeep Garg tells us: “Brands like Tiffany, Bottega Veneta, Zara and IKEA have used our space and have all found its curation, location, community and feel to be a unique combination, presented in an aesthetically pleasing small space with a quirky layout. They’re able to integrate their brand with these elements and showcase their individuality on a small scale as opposed to only hosting at much larger venues where the engagement may be lost,” he explains.

A lot of the takeovers come as a result of brands seeing similar names in the space, noting their success and wanting to replicate it, according to Garg, with moments like Frieze Week being a particularly important time in their calendar. The attraction from brands also resulted in a visual transformation for the Shreeji, designed by Gabriel Chipperfield, which has only added to its allure.

“There was a big change in the look of the store during the first outbreak of COVID-19 – although not due to it. I had wanted to add coffee; which I saw as a natural companion to publications and a reading space for people to look through books and magazines. Therefore we ended up with a completely new look, incorporating a coffee service and spaces to host events, that has helped it to add a new set of welcome followers,” Garg adds.

Along with Shreeji, other examples include Miu Miu‘s “Summer Reads” pop-up, echoing a news kiosk, which took place across its key cities, along with JW Anderson‘s recent takeover at The Devonshire, and Kate Spade‘s Christmas-themed pub.

The Global Tourers

Fashion and beauty pop-ups aren’t the only ones eliciting mile-long queues and TikTok videos, food has its fair share too. Take We Are Ona as an example, a design-led, food-based experience that travels around the globe to create unique tablescapes, menus and supper club experiences. Quickly relegated to impossible waitlists, the sought-after experience is another way the pop-up has evolved in recent years, now tapping into other culturally relevant interests outside of just product.

“At We Are Ona, we’re very lucky to be passionate about the culinary world, of course, but also about the creative and luxury worlds. We really try to understand the link between a culinary experience and the brand and [work out] how we can create a souvenir [from that,]” founder Luca Pronzato tells us.

In terms of how that link and relationship has evolved, Pronzato adds “We come from the hospitality world but are always very influenced by creative communities so I think we’re now at the junction between the restaurant world and the event world. We are a culinary studio and our creative process is always evolving. Our team is getting bigger, we have architects, scenographers and set designers that I lead but also culinary directors, chefs, sommeliers and waiters. The creative process is very interesting because it’s a true exchange in creative worlds between fashion and luxury but also design, art, architecture and of course culinary art.”

Essentially, what we want from pop-up experiences is changing and will continue to change but one thing’s for sure: a run-of-the-mill, temporary shop front is not going to cut it anymore.