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The Guild Dumfries POP UP SHOP

The Guild Dumfries C.I.C popped up in Dumfries Town Centre from Saturday 3rd to Sat 17th August 2019. We were delighted to secure the use of an empty property within a prime location in the heart of the town and able to host a Pop Up Shop for just 14 days at the beginning of August.

 

We threw open the doors of our shop in The Loreburne Shopping Centre and showcased over 30 talented independent makers, creatives and producers. It was a one stop shop for all things beautiful, unusual and handmade. A place where customers could purchase covetable products they might not find elsewhere in the town, happy in the knowledge that they were buying directly from makers.

 

The Guild Pop Up was no ordinary shop though. As a social enterprise, The Guild wants to run a business and make a profit, but any surplus income we generated from this project, after covering running costs and overheads, was reinvested in the business and helps towards its social aims. We use the profits to create a positive social impact which will help us to develop the types of facilities, projects, events, activities and opportunities our community and town needs. Buying social is about using your money, as an individual, to create a positive impact in the community we live in and supporting this locally based organisation. When you buy from a social enterprise you are choosing to spend your money with a business that is giving something back. So, it really is consumerism with a conscious!

“Absolutely beautiful when you walk in its vibrant, pretty and full of beautiful products to buy. Wishing you continued success.”

“That is the least pop up looking pop up shop I’ve even seen - looks full of wonderful things”

The Guild Pop Up Shop hosted an exclusive private preview event on Friday 2nd August, to celebrate the opening with our Friends of The Guild, makers, volunteers, supporters, partners and all who have all supported us on our journey so far.

During the Pop Up Shop event we also planned a programme of creative workshops, talks, tours, demos and activities. We worked with over 40 other businesses, organisations, charities and individuals within the town during this pilot project. We helped to increase footfall and created a buzz of excitement throughout the shopping centre and the rest of the town. We were delighted to be helping promote Dumfries and encouraging people to not only come and visit us, but to support other local business in the town.

“Fabulous! The shop is beautiful! Really hope that this venture becomes a permanent feature of our high street”

Over the two-week period we saw between 500-1000 visitors to our shop every day, with many of our makers having to restock time and again due to the huge demand for their desirable products. We were astounded to find that shop sales generated over £15,000.00 for our makers in only 14 days! We hoped this would be a successful project but were blown away by the positivity and the supportive reaction we recieved from both visitors and our many followers on social media.

The Guild Pop Up shop provided us with an opportunity to engage with the public and measure interest in our ambitious plans to create a permanent community space in the heart of Dumfries. The response was overwhelmingly positive, with 1000’s of people taking part in our interactive questionnaire.

We were delighted to secure a pop-up shop premises in The Loreburne Centre and we want to thank them for their support. The Guild took over one of the empty properies which had sat empty for a number of years in the shopping centre, the former Body Shop premises. The shop had a new lick of paint and we worked hard to transform it into an inviting space to welcome potential cuustomers. The property occupied a prime location within the town centre, Marks & Spencer were our friendly neighbours! It was close to the entrance of the Loreburne Shopping Centre and was the perfect location with lots of potential customers passing the large shopfronts. We were also given the use of the concourse outside so we were able to host activities and events.

POP UP SHOP LOCATION:

Loreburne Shopping Centre

High Street | Dumfries and Galloway | DG1 2BD

“Fantastic addition to the high Street. Well done those involved. More of this please."

If you're a maker, designer. artist, producer or indie business owner and are keen to find new ways to get your products in front of new customers in a prime location then why not get in touch. We are keen to collaborate with makers from across the region and beyond. We hope that we can work together to offer makers support and opportunities to grow their business and build their audience.