Pop-up Store Market Triples in Size in Two Years

SuiteSpot Releases "2026 First Half Pop-up Store Trend Report"

The pop-up store market has tripled in size over the past two years, expanding its stage across all major commercial districts in Seoul.

On July 7, SuiteSpot, a company specializing in pop-up and commercial real estate, released the "2026 First Half Pop-up Store Trend Report" based on data from its own pop-up information platform, Popga.

According to the report, the number of pop-up store openings, which was 1,470 in the first half of last year, increased by 44.9% to 2,130 in the first half of this year. The average monthly number of pop-up store operations, which stood at 113 in the first half of 2024, also grew nearly threefold to 355 per month in the first half of this year. In particular, April and May, when outdoor activities are in full swing, saw a record high of 460 and 471 events, respectively, marking the highest numbers for the first half of the year.

The most notable change highlighted in this report is the reshaping of Seoul's pop-up store commercial district map. Whereas there had previously been a concentration in Seongdong-gu, this year, even as the absolute number of openings in Seongsu increased, its overall share within Seoul decreased somewhat. Instead, the share of major commercial districts such as Yongsan, Songpa, Mapo, and Jung-gu all expanded simultaneously. In particular, Yongsan has emerged as a key hub, with major retail facilities attracting a surge of intellectual property (IP) and character-themed pop-ups.

Changes have also been observed within the Seongsu commercial district itself. The area, once centered around Yeonmujang-gil, is now expanding to include Bukseongsu, Seoul Forest, and Ttukseom. With brand demand concentrated on core streets, pop-up stores have spread to surrounding blocks. Seongsu is now described not as a single spot around Yeonmujang-gil, but as a broad pop-up store commercial district encompassing several nearby neighborhoods.

The methods of operation are also becoming more sophisticated. The proportion of short-term pop-ups operating for less than one week has increased for three consecutive years, and 44.5% of all pop-up stores opened on Fridays. This is analyzed as a strategy by brands to maximize foot traffic and buzz within a short period by targeting visitor demand from Friday through the weekend.

By category, fashion and accessories as well as beauty still accounted for a high proportion, although their shares declined compared to the same period last year. In contrast, content-based categories such as IP, food & beverage (F&B), and entertainment showed remarkable growth. Especially as pop-up stores are evolving beyond just product sales spaces into places to experience and share content, the stationery, books, and music category surged by 352.9% compared to the same period last year.

Jungsoo Kim, CEO of SuiteSpot, stated, "This first-half report demonstrates that pop-up stores have become core content that shakes up both the commercial real estate market and consumer trends, far beyond being a temporary marketing tool. In line with the diversification of commercial districts across Seoul and the shift toward content-driven experiences, we will continue to provide optimized commercial space solutions based on data."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.