Independent pop-up markets are gaining traction across the state, serving as incubators for small businesses and boosting local economies.
Pop-up markets are temporary retail events, typically held in parks, commercial lots, empty buildings and event spaces. Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar stores or long-standing flea markets, these markets are temporary, held over the course of a day or a weekend, and feature a curated selection of vendors. Any market could be made up of a mix of local artisans, vintage sellers, small-batch food producers, food trucks and emerging brands.
Pop-ups provide a platform for businesses that may not have a permanent physical presence, serving as a low-cost, low-risk environment for entrepreneurs to test their products and build a customer base. And though temporary, most markets recur monthly or seasonally, which can build up a returning customer base for each event. This regularity also allows the small businesses that participate to establish a local presence and grow over time.
Dylan Wright, co-founder of Dog Eat Dog Collective, a vintage store in Little Rock’s East Village that hosts the Lost & Found Market, said the ease of trying out a market is impactful for businesses that are just starting out.
To sell at Lost & Found, vendors purchase a booth that costs anywhere from $50 to $75. After that, participants only need a table and their product — and maybe a canopy tent to stay out of the sun at the outdoor markets. Lost & Found typically hosts a little over 40 vendors per market.
For vendors, these events provide an opportunity to show off products, build brand awareness, and connect directly with customers without the overhead costs of a permanent store. Dog Eat Dog does all of the marketing, organizing, securing of permits and event management during the day of the market.
“It’s really hard to start a small business, and it’s really hard to do it in a way where people are going to notice you,” Wright said. He said Lost & Found “offers a way for people to make money as a side hustle, or even as a full-time job, that doesn’t require those other things, and also to test their ideas and test their products in a way that the commitment is low stakes.”
Ashley Moore, founder of Bella Rustina, a large-scale market based in Conway, has seen businesses grow from one booth to opening up their own shop.
“A lot of them start out doing events to test the market and see if they’ve got a viable business,” Moore said. “And then the next thing you know, they’re opening shops, they’re branching out, and I have to say goodbye because they’re so busy. It’s fun to watch them start from that little idea to success.”
Moore said she’s watched “multiple vendors” graduate from markets, whether it be with an online or physical presence.
And Alexis Thomason, managing director of the Little Craft Show in Fayetteville echoed that sentiment, stating “several of our makers started out as a little half booth, or a little table with a few items, and now have storefronts across northwest Arkansas.”
Thomason said most vendors aren’t doing markets full-time, but they might be trying to get to that point. The Little Craft Show started in 2011, and features its vendors on Instagram, where it has 15,000 followers. Thomason said each event can see more than 4,000 visitors.
Larger impact
The economic impact of pop-up markets extend beyond the vendors. When shoppers buy products at markets, rather than outside retailers, those dollars are more likely to be reinvested locally, keeping money circulating within Arkansas communities.
Smaller pop-up markets are often free to shop at, but Bella Rustina charges a $10 entry fee for shoppers. Moore has five to six thousand customers come through each market and charges sales tax on each ticket, as well as on anything the vendors sell.
Booths at Bella Rustina cost $150 for a two-day weekend market, and vendors can often make ten times that booth fee or more, Moore said. She also said some vendors make as much as $10,000.
Bella Rustina can have more than 50 vendors travel from out-of-state to participate, which brings money into local restaurants, hotels and gas stations. Most vendors stay Wednesday through Monday, Moore said.
Outside of creating a locally-driven economy, markets help improve the quality of living in communities, not only for residents, but for visitors as well, according to Little Rock Convention and Visitors Bureau President and CEO Gina Gemberling.
“Visitors are looking for the same thing residents are — we’re all looking for things to do,” Gemberling said. “It all ties together. The more we can offer and the more we can show what Little Rock is all about is great for our visitors, but just as well for our residents by giving us that live here more opportunities and things to do.”
Gemberling also said the markets bring in visitors from out of town to spend time in Little Rock. In Little Rock alone, there’s multiple markets happening every week or weekend, Gemberling said. Lost & Found, Pocket Park Pop-Up, The Market at Pettaway and East Village Art Market are just a few examples.
“It brings people from around Little Rock that come in to visit for the day,” Gemberling said. “The more things there are to do, the more visitors you can attract.”
All three market organizers also emphasized that they see spending habits shifting toward local businesses and independent creatives.
“More and more people are thinking the way they spend money is the way they show what they care about,” Thomason said. “People are drawn more to a local setup.”
Outside of circulating money in the local community, Lost & Found donates 10% of booth fees to a different local charity for each market. Our House of Little Rock and the Women’s Foundation of Arkansas are two previous recipients.
Behind the scenes
Organizing pop-up markets is a business venture in itself for the organizers.
“We are technically providing a service to our vendors,” Wright said. “So we want to make sure that we’re doing the best we can to make them money and to make the experience a good one.”
Market organizers have to attract customers through marketing, find venues, plan market setups and arrange vendor booths, sell the booths and even tell people where to park.
Bella Rustina is one of the largest markets in Arkansas, and Moore estimates she spends around $20,000 in advertising for the event, and anywhere from $12,000 to $20,000 on venue expenses.
Thomason said there are a lot of hidden tasks involved in organizing a market like the Little Craft Show. And where larger businesses may have a team to handle those tasks, most markets are organized by one or two people.
“I am making sure that the tax identification has gone through. I am making sure that I have enough water for the event, especially during the summer. I am creating gift bags for all of the vendors. I am taking posters and putting them all across northwest Arkansas,” Thomason said. “Any decorations, I’m organizing that. I’m running the social media.”
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