DIGITAL bungalow

AT open house: Brighton and Hove’s Artists Open Houses

Posted on May 24, 2012 by Darren Baldwin

It’s fair to say that as well as delivering tremendously marvellous content, DIGITAL bungalow is also rather image heavy.

The reason being, we like to look at nice things and that is precisely what I got to do on a recent outing to one of Brighton’s infamous open houses.

AT open house is run by April and Tim and they are the proud owners of an eclectic gallery brimming with beautiful examples of letter press, screen prints, paintings, photography, and textiles … oh and cake, I forgot cake.

Zoo Prints & Collectables handprinted critters

Mr Wingate hand printed textiles for your home

Vintage circus posters from Delicious Industries

Delicious Industries

April and Tim welcome you

I was accompanied on my trip by one of the DIGITAL bungalow youngsters and there we met not only our hosts April and Tim, but our good friends Delicious Industries‘ Creative Director Judith Wilding and artist Lou Taylor who produces the wholly delicate ‘Paper Cuts’ art.

The DIGITAL bungalow youngster heads for the cake …

Lou Taylor paper-cut illustration

If Delicious Industries say so …

The AT house …

Carlos Garde-Martin illustration and badges

Now when you pay a visit to April and Tim’s, the one thing that is prevalent (apart from the glorious works of art) is cake. Yep, cake. You’re not gonna miss it, believe me. It’s there on the lower ground floor sitting proudly on the AT open house dinner table. An overwhelming range of cake that you can wash down with a cup of tea if you’re in a traditional frame of mind, or coffee if you’re feeling a tad more European; all for a small voluntary donation.

Time for tea

Time for cake too …

What could be better?

Fine cherries

More cake!

So I’d like to suggest – in a subtle, Mafioso-style berating – that you get yourselves down there this weekend. Why? Because it’s the last one and if you haven’t been you should definitely, more than anything else … go.

What more could you want on a beautiful weekend in Brighton than to walk around a stunning house busting with impressive art, eating dangerously gorgeous cake and drinking fine tea.

You’d be mad not to … obviously.

AT open house

AT open house
26th and 27th May
12pm – 6pm
42 Hendon Street
Brighton
BN2 0EG

A mere hop, skip and a jump from Queen’s Park, Hendon Street is just off Sutherland Road in Kemp Town.

The number 2 and 2a buses stop right at the end of Hendon Street and run from Shoreham to Rottingdean.

For those traveling from further afield, Brighton Train station is approx. a half-hour walk away.

If you are following the Kemp Town Trail, AT open house is K8 on the trail map.

Tim at the helm …

It’s business

Mirror mirror …

Alice Pattullo illustrative prints

Love Hove then love this

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Posted in Just for fun, Uncategorized, Where've ya been? and tagged Alice Pattullo, AT open house, brighton, brighton fringe, Carlos Garde-Martin, delicious industries, Erin Prior, Love Hove, Mr Wingate, open house, Zoo Prints. Bookmark the permalink.

Times, they are a-changing …

Posted on May 16, 2012 by Carrie (Queenie)

So, there’s big news at Db HQ. With the first birthday of our little blog fast approaching (19 June, for those of you that may or may not be interested), I’ve made a big, enormous, gargantuan decision. I’m jacking in my day job. With the launches and unprecedented successes of Kitchen Bitching and live.love.space, and the launch of a fourth and fifth site in the next couple of months; with 12 writers, three editors and a family to think about, I realised something had to give.

When I look back at the last 12 months, it’s such a strange sensation. Driving around Brighton today I realised that it’s a bit like moving to a new city. Sure, I was writing for Domestic Sluttery and had a full-time writing job – I knew road signs, I’d passed my driving test and I knew how to get from A to B reasonably successfully. But, after time, when you live somewhere, you get to know the back roads, the shortcuts, the alley ways and the bits of road that always get snarled up come rush-hour. You know the best cafes, the worst pubs, and the secret drinking dens that open late but pretend not to. When you live somewhere for a while you get to know it. And that’s sort of what my blogging journey has been like. I definitely live here now.

Off we go!

I haven’t written a completely personal, agenda-less, purely-my-voice post for, gosh, ages. Now, some bloggers will chastise me for that. Tell me that that is what blogging is about, and without my voice there’s no substance to what I do. But, I’d have to disagree. My voice is all over my sites. It’s like a freaking sneaky fox, getting into every nook and cranny. But I don’t write much about the details of my personal life, about my thoughts and feelings, because that’s not what blogging does for me.

Don’t get me wrong, some of my most favourite blogs are the spill-all-my-life-exposed blogs, they’re so often the most engaging, the most provocative and the most exciting. But, my relationship with this funny little medium just isn’t like that. I love to share, I’d like to think in some small way I inspire … but mostly I like to share. Things I’ve found, food I love, places I’ve been … that’s where my blogging journey has taken me. I may be driving a Rover 75 whilst I do it – but I’m perfectly happy with that.

So, this next phase in my blogging journey will see me taking on the whole big enormous internet for all I’m worth. Hopefully you’ll be there to help me feel better when things go wrong and celebrate the small victories, and hopefully a few big ones too. I take with me my rather splendid partner in crime, in life and, of course, in business. Between us, and our team, we hope that this time next year we’ll have even more to be proud about.

Wish me luck!

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged blogging as a career, Carrie Barclay, Darren Baldwin, Digital Bungalow, freelance writing, full time blogging, Kitchen Bitching, live.love.space, writing for a living. Bookmark the permalink.

DIGITAL review: Award-winning architectural and landscape photographer Jason Friend’s Northumberland e-book

Posted on April 25, 2012 by Darren Baldwin

Being the photographer for DIGITAL bungalow I’m always on the look out for inspiring photographic work.

I was delighted to recently be asked by award-winning photographer Jason Friend to review his new e-book; brimming with glorious photographs of Northumberland … I couldn’t wait!

In this latest work (Jason has already published ten books to date) Jason expertly captures some of Northumberland’s the various guises; from the glorious English baroque style of the grade 1 listed country house Seaton Delaval Hall, to the largest artificial lake in England that is Kielder Water.

England, Northumberland, Seaton Delaval Hall.

England, Northumberland, Kielder Water & Forest Park.

From Alnwick Castle, another grade 1 listed building built following the Norman Conquest, to the snow laiden Northumberland National Park.

England, Northumberland, Alnwick.

England, Northumberland, Northumberland National Park.

Jason’s book is not simply full of images, he also affords us a little history too, which for a shameful geography heathen like myself, is truly invaluable.

Northumberland is not only the northernmost county to be found within England, but it’s also the least populated and therefore a haven for photographers (no tourists getting in the way of those one-off lighting moments).

Although a peaceful and sublime place to visit these days, at one time poor Northumberland was trampled on by grumpy unforgiving Scottish and Scandinavian invaders. The scars of these battles appear as numerous fortifications that to this day remain dotted across the Northumberland landscape; these alone provide an enigmatic contrast to the natural features of the region.

Obviously you’ll not be given such an unruly welcome these days, just the freedom to explore the awe-inspiring landscape till your pounding heart’s content.

England, Northumberland, Hexham.

England, Northumberland, Bamburgh.

For over a decade Jason’s photography has graced a multitude of broadsheets and magazines from the Telegraph to the Guardian, from the BBC Wildlife magazine to Rough Guides. But Jason not only captures breathtaking images, he’s also found time to write ten books. Yes, TEN! Slow down man …

Jason’s latest e-book is positively overflowing with breathtaking images that manipulate you emotionally in one of two ways …

a) Jealousy, envy and rage because you weren’t there to capture these great images (if you’re a photographer)

Or …

b) Weak at the knees and want to book a room at Seaton Delaval Hall, grab a pint and a bite to eat at the Mason’s arms, and then indulge in a long walk over Birkside fell (if you’re someone who appreciates fabulous photography and gorgeous places to visit).

I therefore advise you, as part of the esteemed DIGITAL bungalow collective, to spare £1.95 of your hard-earned cash and hop on over to Jason’s website and purchase this fabulous image-soaked and history-saturated item.

England, Northumberland, Beadnell.

England, Northumberland, Cullernose Point.

Jason Friend’s Northumberland e-book is available to purchase now over at his website.

Jason Friend

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Posted in Product Reviews, Uncategorized and tagged Allen Banks, architectural photography, Bamburgh Castle, Blakehope Burn, Breamish Valley, Cullernose Point, jason friend, Kielder Water, Lambley Railway Viaduct, landscape photography, Lindisfarne Castle, national geographic, northumberland, Seaton Delaval Hall. Bookmark the permalink.

DIGITAL event: Inspired by Egypt with Easy Jet

Posted on April 10, 2012 by Darren Baldwin

As we’re sure you all know, there have been some big changes going on at Db HQ over recent weeks. With a new website on the way, a new status as a Limited Company, a spot of headhunting and a whole new project about to be undertaken we’ve been pretty swamped. Because we’ve been so busy we haven’t been getting out to as many events as we might have liked. So, when the lovely folks at Easy Jet invited us along to learn about Ancient Egypt and share a glass of wine with them in the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archeology after hours, we were more than happy to oblige.

Cleopatra's Needle

The evening began on the banks of the River Thames, in the shadow of the statuesque Cleopatra’s Needle. Miss C was needed across town in Shoreditch for a meeting for the former part of the evening, so I was flying solo. Once we’d congregated beneath the towering needle and heard a little about the history of these ancient relics. There’s a Cleopatra’s Needle in London, Paris and New York. Each is an original, bona fide Ancient Egyptian obelisk – so, in short, they’re seriously old. London’s needle is made of red granite and stands at a rather impressive 68 foot high. Nice. The whole Cleopatra connection is a bit of a dud though, this little baby was already around 1,000 years old by the time Cleo and her ass-milk-bathing ways came along.

The Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archeology

History lesson number one completed, it was necessary for our group to move from the needle over to the Petrie Museum of Egyptian Archeology at the University College London. This mass-move was eventually achieved through the cunning use of a load of taxis, a couple of wrong turns and a bit of a money-related faff.

Talk like a Egyptian ...

Anyhow, once we arrived at the museum we were privy to another talk about the amazing world of Ancient Egypt. The Petrie Museum houses over 80,000 super-old objects and it’s pretty much one of the most impressive collections of Ancient Egyptian and Sudanese archeology in the world.

Another blogger taking a look around

Miss B eventually arrived after having rather a difficult time gaining access to the museum, which we had the honour of visiting after hours. Once we were both assembled we had a chance to take a proper look around the many sprawling glass cabinets filled with ancient artifacts.

Rows of splendour

Lots 'o' stuff

Included in the impressive collection was the earliest known piece of linen from Egypt dated from around 5000 BC, the earliest know examples of monumental sculpture in the form of two lions from the Temple of Min at Kaptos dating from around 3000 BC and even an incredible example of a beadnet dress that would have once belonged to a dancer of the Pyramid era from around 2400 BC. Amazing. Whilst Miss B (ever the heathen) was a little disappointed that there weren’t rows and rows of mummies in splendid gold-and-blue cases, the collection was, none the less, an impressive haul, lovingly attended to by the museum curators.

Learning ...

Easy does it ...

Listening ...

We were later privy to a short talk by the guys from Easy Jet about their Egyptian destinations … this to be honest was a bit disjointed and featured some less-than-inspiring Powerpoints and a rather lacklustre collection of colour print-outs about the holidays. However, we did manage to glean that the main places Easy Jet provide holidays to are the well-known Sharm El Sheikh as well as Luxor and Hurghada. Of course, Egypt has recently been named the UK’s diving destination of choice, so there’s a strong emphasis on getting into the water, and Egypt’s calm, dry, warm climate makes it a pretty splendid holiday destination.

Once we’d all had a glass of wine and a chat, the Easy Jet guys ran a competition for someone to win a holiday. We weren’t the lucky ones … but the recipient seemed pleased as punch which was wonderful.

Drumroll please ...

... And the winner is ...

All-in-all we really appreciated being invited along by the Easy Jet guys, and we think they tried really hard to provide a balance of information and fun. To be honest, the event wasn’t quite what we envisaged, but it certainly gave us food for thought.

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Posted in Uncategorized, Where've ya been? and tagged ancient egypt, Easy Jet, Easy Jet holidays, egyptian archeology, events, inspired by egypt, petrie museum, win a holiday. Bookmark the permalink.

24-hour Roadtrip Instagram Challenge

Posted on April 8, 2012 by Carrie (Queenie)

On Saturday afternoon at 4pm we set ourselves a challenge. Could we have a roadtrip adventure, capture it on Instagram and have it finished and uploaded within 24 hours … well, we left the house at 4.07pm on Saturday 7 April … and here it is!

Our 24-hour trip in pictures

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Posted in Uncategorized and tagged 24 hour instagram challenge, 24 hours, 4pm, 7 april, cambridge, Digital Bungalow, roadtrip, saturday afternoon, travel, travels, vacation. Bookmark the permalink.

DIGITAL Easter: a tour around Audrey’s Chocolates, Hove

Posted on April 6, 2012 by Darren Baldwin

The word chocolate may strike fear into the waistlines of many, but who can resist? Especially when it’s hand-made, hand-moulded, hand-crafted, hand-packaged and handed to you with a smile.

Beautiful hand decorated eggs ...

When DIGITAL bungalow were given the chance to go behind the scenes of local Brighton chocolatiers Audrey’s Chocolates, we shut up shop, palmed the kids off with a stranger and with much gusto made our way to the Hove branch of this fine chocolate-makers empire.

Audrey's Chocolates

With Easter fast approaching we couldn’t wait to see what tasty morsels awaited us behind the olde-worlde bay window of this glorious chocolate shop.

With over 60 years as a brand, and shops on Holland Road in Hove and the East Street Arcade in Brighton, as well as a pretty sweet deal with Fortnum and Masons up in town; Audrey’s Chocolates have established themselves as one of the best chocolatiers in the country. Yet despite numerous awards (their finest being for customer loyalty) Audrey’s chocolates refuses to sit still; rather they’re keen to continue to evolve and better themselves – right up our street!

Our journey started in the main shop which is adorned with beautiful antique cabinets filled with chocolate joys a plenty. It had a ‘time gone by’ feel to it without feeling tired and jaded; more a feeling of stepping back in time.

We could contain ourselves no longer – We bounded downstairs with much gusto to visit the kitchens where the chocolate is made. Yep, we saw chocolate being made. What an utter delight! With Easter around the corner, there were bunnies a-plenty, huge glistening easter eggs, glorious gifts and delicious little chocolate trinkets; all being hand-crafted by these masters of chocolate.

Painting-in the moulds

Antique egg moulds

The chocolate gurus are wonderful folks – it’s wonderful to meet such enthusiastic and knowledgeable craftspeople; it’s especially nice when said craftspeople happily feed you chocolate delights throughout your visit *loosens belt* …

Unraveling the bunnies

The processes are simply fascinating to behold … ladies in hairnets massaging mounds of gooey chocolate – up to their elbows in the brown stuff; manipulating, blending, creating. Watching them work is akin to sitting in a sculptor’s studio – their flamboyant artistic flair is nothing short of mesmerising.

Tempering the chocolate

The finest handmade detail

The personal touch

Our time at Audrey’s was like a trip to Willy Wonka’s factory – but without the creepy tunnels and undercurrents of unrest and foreboding. Whilst anyone can go out and buy a mass-produced lump of Dairy Milk, the more astute amongst us will realise that the depth of flavour, the attention to detail and the passion that goes into these exquisite gifts are what makes a place like Audreys worth becoming your chocolatiers of choice.

Divine details

Awaiting their fate ...

Rabbit gang

Handmade from start to finish

Happy Easter everyone!

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Posted in Our current crushes, Uncategorized, Where've ya been? and tagged chocolate eggs, easter, easter bunny, easter chocolates, easter eggs, hand-made chocolates. Bookmark the permalink.

DIGITAL competition: If you go down to the woods today … meet Clootielugs

Posted on April 3, 2012 by Carrie (Queenie)

We’ve got a new crush! It’s been a little while since an artist really captured our imagination, but we’re thrilled to share our new obsession with you. More than that, because this new love is so terrific, we’ve teamed up with them to share the craft-lust with a fantastically amazingly awesome competition!

We stumbled upon Clootielugs on one of our many searches for just the right gift for just the right person. We were delving into the colourful crafty corners of Folksy when our ever-alert beady little eyes settled upon the most delicate of creatures. Nestled amongst fauna, gazing out with unblinking eyes was Little Red Riding Hood. Instantly entranced by her exquisite features and hand-made detail that, at that very moment, we knew she would be ours. Well, not ours, exactly, but briefly in our possession before being lovingly handed over to one of our best beloved for their birthday (sorry if I’ve spoiled the surprise Sis, but we couldn’t wait to tell the world about Clootielugs)!

Little Red Riding Hood

Of course, us being us, we weren’t simply satisfied to purchase a Clootielug of our own and be done with it. Oh no! We steeled ourselves, determined to find out more about the obviously vastly talented designer behind these hauntingly adorable creations.

Rather than whittle on and on ourselves, why don’t we hand you over to the mistress of micro mystical make-believe herself, the imitable Jill Kitson:

“I live with my family in the north-east of Fife, close to St Andrews. In addition to three children I also have Charlie the bearded dragon, a dopey kitten called Albert and a very naughty West Highland terrier called Lucy. Lucy is my muse…I have most of my best ideas while out for walks with her across local woodland and fields.

Several children, houses, jobs, years later and we are now all settled in the east coast of Scotland. A couple of years ago I made Lucy (the terrier) a toy rabbit for Christmas. Although this was quickly and completely destroyed by little Lucy (!) that rabbit was the starting point of a whole new career… and the inspiration for Clootielugs.

Hector the doorstop bunny

That New Year I embarked upon making a series of rabbit and squirrel doorstops. Surprisingly consistent successes at local craft fairs spurred me on and soon I was coming up with all sorts of ideas.

I use as much upcycled fabrics as I can, but will also use new and found materials where necessary. I also use repurposed and reclaimed packaging materials to minimise cost and reduce waste, my small contribution to a huge problem!”

What big teeth you have ...

“My fabric birds have proved very popular and now bespoke bird wedding cake-toppers are my best sellers! I don’t want to be typecast as a maker of one thing however, and am constantly experimenting with new materials, designs and projects. Recently I have become a bit obsessed with fairytales…and Little Red Riding Hood in particular!”

Here Tweets the bride ...

“I love combining different crafts, such as textiles and stitch-work with my ink illustrations and acrylic paintings. I am as excited by the process of designing a new product as I am by the final creation itself. I now work part-time to supplement my income but my long term goal would be for Clootielugs to grow as a business and for it to provide the financial security of allowing me to concentrate and play with new ideas and designs every day! It’s what I love to do!“

Mouse in the house

We love Jill’s work too, and we can’t believe how reasonable her prices are, too. If you can’t wait a moment longer to purchase one of her adorable felt or fabric friends then may we suggest you hurry on over to Clootielugs and get your grubby paws on Jill’s wonderful creations before they all fly away!

DIGITAL bungalow have teamed up with Clootielugs to offer you not one, not two but four original, beautiful Clootilug items in an only-for-DIGITAL-bungalow special goodie bag! Whoot!

The lucky recipient will recieve a Red Riding Hood brooch, a Wicked Wolf keyring, a Clootielugs fabric birdie and a cuter-than-cute mousie print. You lucky souls, you!

To be in with a chance of winning simply drop us an email to digitalbungalow@rocketmail.com before 1 May 2012 – we’ll pick a winner after the closing date.

GOOD LUCK! And thanks to Clootielugs for bringing a little magic into our lives.

Gifty goodness!

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Posted in DIGITAL competition, Our current crushes and tagged Clootielugs, crafts, Folksy, handmade fabric brooch, handmade jewellery, little red riding hood, little red riding hood brooch, unusual jewellery. Bookmark the permalink.

Viva Las Lovin’ – Rockabilly Style!

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Carrie (Queenie)

It’s been a while since we talked nuptials here at Db. Partially because we’ve been so busy with other things, and partially because I think Mr B was beginning to fear that my wedding obsession was getting a touch out of control. However, I’m back with a vengeance after chatting Rockabilly with the gorgeous Leila over at Turtle PR.

As it turns out, between 5 and 8 April this year, Las Vegas, Nevada is going to play host to the biggest Rockabilly Festival in the WORLD. We’re talking four days of 1950s cars, music, fashion, shows and much, MUCH dancing. Jealous much? I damn well know I am.

Viva Las Vegas Rockabilly Festival

When you talk Vegas to me, it’s pretty doubtful that our conversation will get past the three-minute mark without the mention of getting wed. I’d love to run away and get married to my best beloved in a gloriously ostentatious Vegas chapel in a vintage frock with a bouquet of cheap flowers, a bottle of champagne and a heart filled with hope. And, of course, I’m not the only one.

VEGAS BABY!

During Rockabilly Weekend (and beyond), the Viva Las Vegas Wedding Chapel is the perfect runaway for every loved-up Rockafella and Rockafemme looking to get hitched, ‘billy-style.

Rock that 'billy love!

The Viva is a 1950s chapel complete with Elvis as minister and live Rockabilly music for that authentic edge; everything from the limo to the bouquet, including personalised wedding website and the couple’s name in lights outside the venue are included in the package … and all for the less-than-hefty price tag of $650.

I’m game if he is …

Dance the Doo Wop on your wedding day

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Posted in Where've ya been? and tagged cheap flights to vegas, flights to vegas, get married in vegas, holiday vegas, really cheap flights vegas, rockabilly, rockabilly wedding, themed vegas wedding, themed wedding, vegas wedding, viva las vegas rockabilliy festival 2012, viva las vegas wedding chapel, where can i get married in vegas. Bookmark the permalink.

DIGITAL review: Tune Hotel, Liverpool Street, London

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Carrie (Queenie)

Last week I popped up to London for a couple of days. I needed to have some meetings with a couple of rather splendid people, and I also wanted to pop along to the see my very dear pals at Liberty Lounge, and stick my head in on the lovely Awesome Women Of Twitter ladies who were due to be consuming cake and drinking gin at that very establishment.

I was kindly offered a free room for the night by the rather lovely folks at Tune Hotels. For those of you not in the know, Tune are fast becoming a staple budget Hotel chain in the UK, and they’ve already got a range of hotels around the world (you can find a full list on their website).

Tune Hotels - I'll be back!

Now, when I say “budget” you say “crappy”, right? WRONG! I was totally blown away by the immaculate hotel that greeted me when I reached Tune Hotel Liverpool Street. Running late (as usual), I quickly checked in and headed to my room on the third floor. I really wasn’t sure what to expect, but what I didn’t expect was a spacious, very VERY clean room with a swanky power shower, flat screen TV and a little view over their hotel courtyard. I was suddenly a little disappointed that I had to dash out. Before I left I checked the rest of the facilities: power shower – excellent; hairdryer – effectual and well-placed; bed – looked comfy (I’ll come to this later); lighting – ambient, before a quick change and out of the door.

Classy check in ...

My evening was quite marvellous. As usual the AWOT girls were on great form, and the amazing guys at Liberty Lounge (with a special thanks to Chase’s incredible Williams Gin) put on a suitably spectacular show of dry ice Chase gin cocktails, rounds of marmalade vodka, white chocolate-flavoured alcoholic foams and seriously high-end tequila shots. All-in-all the evening was a rip-roaring success and I tottered out of Liberty Lounge in the wee small hours feeling perfectly and most delightfully merry.

Ladies of AWOT

Now, I believe the key to drinking on a school night, especially when you’ve got some pretty important meetings ahead of you come the morning, is a big bottle of water and a very good night’s sleep. When straying away from the comfort zone of your own bed, you’re putting your head (and your hangover) in somebody else’s hands. Well, in my work I stay at a lot of expensive, five-star hotels. And I’d confidently rate Tune Hotels’ beds right up there with the big guys. I was so very comfortable. I slept like a log. I was very pleased indeed.

5-Star Beds!

Come 8am I was perky and awake … although I have to admit, it took me another 30 minutes to persuade myself to leave my rather splendid Tune Hotel bed. No fear, checkout isn’t till 10! The power shower got me set for the day and I left Tune Hotel with a skip and a smile. Not bad considering the tequila.

Would I stay with Tune Hotels again? Absolutely. Would I recommend Tune Hotels? Without a doubt. In fact, I hope to be invited back again very soon.

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Posted in Uncategorized, Where've ya been? and tagged cheap hotel London, cheap hotels, Find London Hotels, good cheap hotel, good cheap hotel London, hotel review, Hotels near Liverpool Street, Liverpool Street London, London Hotel, tune hotel, tune hotels uk. Bookmark the permalink.

Guest Post: How To Launch A Pop-Up Shop

Posted on March 6, 2012 by Carrie (Queenie)

Flash retailing is an exciting new phenomenon in the world of selling. By opening up a pop-up shop, many retailers are maximising their income against expenditure on rent.

Companies and individuals are taking full advantage of short-term shop lets to exploit seasonal and niche markets. The overnight shop is especially useful for companies with seasonal peaks, for example Christmas shops, where they may want to shift large volumes at certain times of year. And they’re a great way to offload any unwanted stock at knockdown prices.

Knock down prices ...

Pop up shops are also increasingly used as a marketing tool where the aim is less about selling stock and more about driving up interest in a particular brand. Many clothing chains and designers use serial pop-up shops to stimulate demand in certain areas before moving on. If you’re considering flash retailing as part of your company sales strategy, then you may want to consider some of the following issues.

Accommodation

In the current market, you may find that many property agents are willing to be more flexible about short and micro lets, so be prepared to negotiate hard to get what you want. If you’re dealing with a national or regional agent, you may be able to develop a deal with serial pop-up shops happening at different places and times across the country.

Serial marketing?

Customer appeal

If you’re only going to be around for a short time, you need to get customers through your door pretty quickly. Your marketing strategy needs to be streamlined to deal with the particular needs of the pop-up world. For example, rather than more traditional advertising, you may need to rely on Twitter, large shop banners and staff outside the store encouraging customers to come in. As every good retailer knows, customers are much more likely to come into a shop with an open door. That means you’re going to need to keep the shop warm at all times. For very short lets, there may be no heating, so consider buying or hiring some electric heaters.

Health and safety

This is a major consideration in any business and especially so in the fast-moving world of pop-up shops. Apart from the usual checklist which your property agent should have taken care of, you’ll also need to consider your insurance liability. Even if you’re only going to be there for one day, make sure you’re properly covered. If there is any equipment there like light displays or electric heaters, check that they have been properly tested.

Staff

You may already have staff from another store who you can relocate on a temporary basis. However, if this isn’t practical, then you need to make sure you have enough staff to deal with the surge in customers. Recruitment can be time-consuming and expensive, so it may be more appropriate to hire agency staff if you’re opening for very short periods of time. That way you can be sure of getting skilled staff at short notice.

Please note this is a sponsored post.

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Posted in Guest Bloggers and tagged business, making money, pop up shop, small business, starting a pop up shop, starting your own business, starting your own pop up shop. Bookmark the permalink.

DIGITAL bungalow

AT open house: Brighton and Hove’s Artists Open Houses

Times, they are a-changing …

DIGITAL review: Award-winning architectural and landscape photographer Jason Friend’s Northumberland e-book

DIGITAL event: Inspired by Egypt with Easy Jet

24-hour Roadtrip Instagram Challenge

DIGITAL Easter: a tour around Audrey’s Chocolates, Hove

DIGITAL competition: If you go down to the woods today … meet Clootielugs

Viva Las Lovin’ – Rockabilly Style!

DIGITAL review: Tune Hotel, Liverpool Street, London

Guest Post: How To Launch A Pop-Up Shop

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