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Will Pop Up Grocer bring discovery to grocery retailing?

February 12, 2020Written by Tom Ryan

Pop Up Grocer, self-described as a “traveling pop-up grocery store,” opened its first West Coast location in Venice Beach. The New York-based company started last year with two pop-ups in Manhattan. In Venice Beach, the 1,000-square-foot space, which will be open from Feb. 7 through Mar. 1, features more than 150 emerging, better-for-you brands in food, beverage, home, pet and body care categories. “We’re not here for the purpose of your weekly haul of milk, eggs and toilet paper,” founder Emily Schildt told the Los Angeles Daily News. “We want to introduce people to the newest and most interesting products.” The ambiance is more like a boutique than a grocery store, with sleek white walls, colorful shopping baskets, fresh pastries and coffees from a local vendor and a lounge to encourage browsing. Curated assortments support storytelling and Instagrammable moments.

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For the winter edition of our in-store 📖 magazine, Shelf Talk, we sat down with Julia Sherman, author of @saladforpresident 🥗 and co-creator of Jus Jus (with @marthastoumen 👑). ⁣ What’s in her basket? “I’m a huge fan of all things @patagonia, and their tinned fish is a fun alternative to cheese plates. Open a can, and serve bread, butter, olive oil, and maybe preserved lemon or pickled chili peppers. You don’t need much else.” 🐟 ⁣ ⁣ “I don’t usually keep snacks in the house because I have no self control—I can crush a whole bag of those lotus puffs in one sitting—but at some point I just decided that popcorn is okay to eat in massive quantities.” 🍿 ⁣ ⁣ RSVP (free!) to our event taking place tomorrow (Monday) night, inside the shop, to meet Julia in person and sip on some Jus Jus. Hit the link in our profile! ⁣ ⁣ #PopUpGrocer #AfterHours 🍷✨

A post shared by pop up grocer (@popup.grocer) on Feb 9, 2020 at 5:19pm PST

The start-up said in a statement, “Pop Up Grocer creates an environment that still feels like a grocery store — product, shelves, fridges — but is fresh enough to take you out of your normal, passive shopping behavior. They create a backdrop for exploration with a space that is friendly and inviting, with the use of colors and smileys — even a living room for lounging and gathering.” Pop Up Grocer will also hold after-hours events, including tastings and discussions on food and culture. The hope is that the concept helps retailers discover new brands as well. “There are big, mass retail stores with an overwhelming amount of product and then there are small, boutique retail stores that are sparse and often pretentious,” Ms. Schildt said in an interview with puff. “What I wanted was a space that felt friendly, fun and inviting, and offered me only the best of what's available.” The retailer is also planning an Austin pop-up for spring. Food vendors have opened pop-ups to introduce new items and raise awareness. Kellogg's just opened a pop-up in Notting Hill to support its first fruit and vegetable-based cereal created by and for children. Later this month, King’s Hawaiian will be open a Breakfast Bungalow in New York City for a limited time. Grocery retailers, however, aren’t rushing into the pop-up space.

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