Our Pop-up Space - The Final Frontier

I'll never wander into a shop the same again.

Previously, I'd enter a store, a doorbell would jingle. The shopkeeper would greet me and I'd proceed to browse a selection of products.

Maybe I'd buy something. Maybe I wouldn't.

I'd wander out again. The doorbell jingling me goodbye.

Little did I know, all the challenges that person standing proudly behind their counter/stall/recently built perspex prison, had to go through. 

And that's the thing, you never really appreciate the challenges others go through till you do it yourself.

But it's always good to share experience and from my recent experience being a market stall trader, online retailer, delivery driver, and now store owner, I have a few nuggets of wisdom I'd like to share. 

And a few confessions...

A quick recap - Good Gift Boxes

We sold a few of our Good Gift boxes, but not as many as I thought we would.

I've been wrong about a few things this year. Or as I prefer to think of it, overly optimistic.

I'd normally try to analyse what went wrong, however, the truth, it is very hard to understand what's going on with anything at the moment.

We are all living in a parallel universe, so I've adapted my normal analytical approach to something more rudimental.

Trying different things. Try, try, try.

And if none of that works. Well, I'll try something else.

Even if something goes wrong - which it invariably does - I'll have learned something.  

Like when we received our first order for the Good Gift Boxes. 

I didn't recognise the name. A total stranger purchased from us - I was very excited.

My excitement quickly turned into a google map search.

I'd specified delivery was only for Brighton & Hove - it turned out I needed to be more specific.

The requested delivery was for Saltdean - a Brighton postcode BUT 10 miles and 45 minutes cycle away. Oh dear...

And yet that 45 minutes was along a coastal path and that delivery day just happened to be a lovely Sunday morning with the sun winning its battle with the clouds.

So what was an initial mistake turned out to be a lovely cycle with the sun on my face.

The elements did not continue to be so kind...   

The Phone Booth Pop-Up

With Good Gift Boxes not moving in sufficient numbers to warrant extra investment, I pirouetted towards our two pop-ups with a little help from my friends.

Our original date for the Phone booth pop-up was a Saturday morning in early November. Three days after November's lockdown kicked in. I remember that day being a beautiful, sunny Saturday.

Our new date, last Sunday, was what they refer to in Scotland as a Dreich day.

A day for a duvet ie. miserable, wet, bleak. The kind that feels like the sky is smothering you with a wet dog blanket.

Thankfully a good friend of mine helped me set up the Gazebo, but we were met by a guy with half a bottle of wine in hand, claiming to have recently won a dance-off.

I could have done with his energy (and his bottle) later that afternoon, as although some lovely humans came to visit and purchased a few items, it was dead. Everyone was running undercover and our stall barely got noticed. I didn't blame them.

I might have been smiling on the outside, but I was crying inside.

The sidewards rain did its best to sneak under our carefully crafted gazebo and got my plantable gift cards all excited they were about to be buried in the damp earth. Shriveling and smudging, I regretted my two hours of careful calligraphy skills.

At least keeping products dry, served to distract me from the cold and boredom. Plus the lift home from my friend and the shower at home felt SO good.

I'd like to say I learned something from the experience. And I believe I did.

Don't do an outdoor pop-up in the middle of December in the UK. 

There you go folks, that one is for free...

The Pop Up Shop

I'm writing this from the comfort of a bit of heating and four walls, I am standing (good for posture, plus I don't have a seat), in my own wee shop on 9 Dukes Lane, Brighton. I'll be here at 930am to 5pm from today until December 23rd.

I am proud of the shop. It's got a bit of character. And a few plants thanks to my housemate. 

I think it looks decent. Especially given that apart, from the products, everything else has been begged and borrowed.

We invited eight local Brighton social enterprises to join us, from fighting food & electrical waste to supporting artists with addiction challenges, it's what I had in mind for Good City Circle; social enterprise & circular products doing good, combined with local social enterprise services supporting the neighbourhood.

Plus 50% of our profits will go to local causes chosen by our customers.

Setting it up has been a BIG effort. From organising insurance to WIFI, coordinating cardboard boxes to washing windows, my to-do list hit 45 at one point. I think that's why maybe I've been waking up at 4am regularly.

But the location is great in an upmarket shopping parade, friendly neighbours have said hello. But will customers visit? And will they spend their money?

We shall soon find out. Although we've made strides on social media with the help of our recently departed fab social media intern, we could have done more on the promotion front.

I believe I'm still jaded from the promo push for the crowdfunding campaign, so I'm relying on word of mouth, a smattering of social media and passers-by.

It might not work, but I am also ok with that now. I feel liberated in some ways from the pressure of it all. In making it succeed. I'd just like to enjoy it now.

Like being in a space I've created. It's the first time for a while- probably since I had an apartment in Colombia five years ago - where I could call something my own.

I've missed it and whatever happens next, I'd like to find comfort in a space. My own space.

Like many people, I'm tired and need a break, though I'll be signing off this year off with good people together trying to do better things together, I'm fortunate to have got this far in the rollercoaster adventure of 2020.

I'll soon find out if the shop really is the final frontier for Good City Circle or if it's time to explore elsewhere. Whatever happens, I've given it a good old go.

Have an awesome festive season and I hope you enjoy time with your nearest and dearest.

Until next time,

Nick